Behind the Slytherin Mask
by sunset oasis
Summary: From the Gryffindors' eyes, the Slytherins seemed like a bunch of pureblood-bigots that are also cold-hearted death-eater-wannabes. But what they didn't know was that there were more than that under the perfect masks of theirs. The story uncovers what are the actual emotions behind Draco Malfoy's sneering expression, Blaise Zabini's always calm face, and their Slytherin journey.
1. Prologue

_A.N: I've always wanted to write a story about how the Slytherin side viewed the war, but it was put off because I feared it's too complicated for me to handle. (Yes, our favorite Slytherins are indeed all complex charcaters !XD) This is my first try, any criticism and reviews are welcomed. I'll mainly be focusing on Draco and Blaise and maybe some of the others. Also, this story contains slash._

 _Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter_

* * *

Prologue

Draco Malfoy grew up being taught by his father that pureblood families were better than the rest of the wizarding world, and the Malfoys were the top of the top. Being at the very top, the Malfoys did not associate themselves with lower-rank wizards – blood-traitors, as Lucius Malfoy would call them - or the filthy mudbloods that could not even be considered as wizards. They only interacted with other honorable pureblood families, but even between these purebloods the Malfoys were still mostly in the leading role.

Aside from the power structures of the wizarding world, Lucius also taught Draco that emotions were for the weak. Draco did not want to be seen as weak by anyone, especially his father, so he learnt to conceal his emotions at a very young age. It took some time to master the skill of putting up the Malfoy mask effortlessly even when he felt disturbingly uncomfortable inside, but before Draco started Hogwarts he was already quite good at it. Once or twice Lucius complimented Draco on it, and he nearly burst with happiness because Lucius rarely complimented anyone on anything, but he only gave a small smile and said, "Thank you, father."

It nearly made him feel that all the sadness and anger he needed to deal with alone without anybody comforting him were worthwhile. Nearly. But one could only be so strong at such a young age. Sometimes he wished he had someone who would accept his emotions, comfort him, and not think him as weak at the same time.

It's not that Draco didn't have any friends. As a Malfoy, every wizard and witch wanted to befriend him, though only a few approved by his parents were allowed. There was Pansy Parkinson and Daphne Greengrass, both witches from other Pureblood families, with the former being witty and cheerful while the latter was cold and kept to herself; there were also Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle, not as smart but they made up with their loyalty. Then there was Theodore Nott, who seemed to read even more books than Draco, which actually impressed Draco a lot despite that he would never admit that. Finally there was the handsome Blaise Zabini from the famously neutral Zabini family, one of the few neutral families Lucius approved.

Draco allowed himself to share some of his feelings with his friends sometimes – to a certain extent only, of course. However, most of these feelings were just hatred towards the blood-traitors and mudblood or joy of winning against the Gryffindors, none of the feelings were too personal. He kept his nervousness, his panic, his loneliness, and his fear all to himself. Sometimes this felt like a huge burden, but after some practice it wasn't that hard to transform some these feelings into another insult towards the Gryffindors. Lucius would be so proud.

As a Malfoy, he didn't feel those kind of feelings often anyway. Draco led a very privileged life, without the need to worry about money or other financial issues. Being the top student in many classes, the studies didn't worry him very much either.

In the rare times those feeling did struck, he just coped with them. Being a Malfoy, he was confident that he could cope with anything.

* * *

Blaise Zabini grew up watching his mother remarrying every one or two year, doubling her fortune every time she did so. Having to deal with the ever-changing stepfathers, he quickly learnt to read people and their emotions at a young age. This ability was soon merged into his survival instincts, with his cunning, his cool and composed demeanor, and his attractiveness (having inherited his mother's good looks).

Different from Draco who had a father teaching him about wizarding world and life, Blaise learnt most of these through experiences - not all of them pleasant ones - and observations. Truth is, merely by observing his mother provided him quite an amount of knowledge, from fashion tips to how to attract and manipulate people (or how to get rid of them without making them feeling that they were being gotten rid of).

Blaise also picked up a lot from his countless stepfathers. From various healing spells (when his mother dated a St. Mungo's Healer) and a few potions-related knowledge (his third stepfather boasted to have graduated with top grades in potions) to music and entertainment from both the muggle and wizarding world.

Pureblood that he was, Blaise wasn't adverse to muggle stuff, as long as the quality was good. He wanted to get the best of things, and he discovered early that quality didn't always have to do with blood or family. Not that he was stupid enough to mention this to his pureblood friends or their parents. He knew what to pretend to believe.

Blaise was also good at sensing and avoiding trouble. This saved him a lot of detentions during Hogwarts. Not that he never broke any rules, but he when he did he was careful enough not to get caught. He wasn't easily provoked into fights either, when other people tried he just replied with his usual calm sarcasm. Most Slytherins were more or less like this, at least compared to the other houses, but Blaise was especially good at it.

One thing that Blaise did not believe in was love. After seeing his mother's remarriages, he just couldn't believe in love. To him, it was merely a game involving two people taking what they needed from each other, be it money or beauty or just someone to keep company. He did dated quite a few girls and also some boys but in the end he all grew bored of them and broke up. He had been quite convinced that he probably wouldn't fall in love with anybody, but that was before he gradually got to knew Draco better ….


	2. Starting Hogwarts

"Behave yourself and remember to write," Narcissa Malfoy said gently as she kissed her son on the forehead. "And if you need any help, you can go to Uncle Severus."

"I will, mother," Draco promised. "Don't worry."

Lucius had gone to a Ministry meeting this morning, so it was Narcissa who accompanied Draco to King's Cross. After saying goodbye to his mother, Draco ventured onto the train, trying to find his friends. In the third compartment, he saw Blaise and Theo playing Wizards chess and quickly joined them.

"Bishop to G5," Blaise was frowning slightly at the chessboard. He raised his head when Draco walked in. "Hi Draco."

"Hi Blaise, hey Theo," he nodded towards them. Draco glanced at the chessboard. Theo seemed to have the upper-hand at the moment.

"Hi," Theo greeted him and made another move on the board, "did you hear about Harry Potter being on the train?"

"Yeah, my father told me he'll be in our year. I was thinking to go and have a little chat with him … maybe offer some help in picking friends. I heard him grew up in a muggle family," Draco smirked slightly. "You two wanna come?"

"Since when do the Malfoys help people? I thought that's bad for your reputation," Blaise raised an eyebrow as he pushed a pawn forward.

Draco mock-punched Blaise and grinned, "Won't it be nice if the Boy Who Lived owe you a little favor?"

"Good point," Blaise laughed good-naturedly. "You go on, I've got a chess game to win."

"No, Blaise, you've got a chess game to lose," said Theo smugly, moving his knight, "Checkmate."

Blaise narrowed his eyes at board and try to figure out which next move would be best. Draco decided to go and find Potter himself and left the compartment. He met Gregory and Vincent on the way and dragged them with him.

* * *

Draco was not pleased to find Harry Potter in the same compartment with some Weasley guy. _Of all the people he could sit next to on his first day, Potter had managed to sit with some blood-traitor._ Draco wondered if he should be thankful that at least it was not a mudblood.

The little visit proved to be unsuccessful. _How dare Potter refused his hand!_ Draco was furious. It wasn't as if the Malfoys reached out a hand to people every day, and when they did the person should be grateful enough to accept it. And there Potter was, seemingly brainwashed by that Weasel. Draco felt a little hurt, though he would never admit that. Instead, he pretended to shrug it off with a sneer, telling himself it was Potter's own loss. He couldn't care less, really.

"Draco!" a girl's voice cut across his thoughts. He turned around to find Pansy running towards him. "Here you are, I've been trying to find you."

Draco cheered up a little. Pansy always seemed to take his mind of other unpleasant things. She chatted high-spiritedly about her summer and asked about his own. Draco liked it that some people had attentions on him because he was who he was, not because he was a Malfoy. Pansy provided this.

However, he was quickly reminded of this unpleasantness the next day. After he wrote to tell his father about Potter, Lucius replied with a harsh letter admonishing Draco of losing to some Weasley in befriending Harry Potter.

 _As if it's my fault that he met Weasel first_ , Draco thought bitterly. He tossed the letter aside and lay back onto his bed unhappily. He felt a little like crying, but then, Malfoys did not cry. So he just buried his face in the pillows instead, trying to ignore the whole thing.

* * *

After a few weeks, things got worse for Draco. Potter got chosen onto the Gryffindor Team after breaking the rule. And all Draco got was a reprimand from Severus after flying during the lesson. The unfairness stung, badly.

Draco was sulking in the dormitory that day when Blaise came in. Blaise glanced at the nearly-in-tears blond who quickly put his face into an impassive Malfoy mask. Out of impulse, he walked towards him and sat onto Draco's bed.

"You alright? Want talk about it?" Blaise asked quietly. He had learnt that this worked with a lot of girls, they seemed to be bursting to spill their secrets.

Not with Draco.

"I'm fine," he snapped, hoping his mask would stay intact. He had a lot of emotions to deal with now and didn't want to add pretending to Blaise to his long list of worries.

"You're not," Blaise said flatly. "But it's okay for not wanting to talk about it. I'm just letting you know that your pretense of being fine isn't as good as you originally thought."

Draco thought that this would infuriated him further, but surprisingly found that it didn't. Instead, he felt an impulse to complain about all this unfairness to Blaise. He resisted the impulse and tried to remain impassive, holding back his tears. He was a Malfoy, after all.

Blaise watched Draco closely. He could feel Draco's change of emotions and debated whether to point it out after the Malfoy mask was on again. Deciding not to further add stress to Draco, he simply said, "Well, if you ever need to talk about it, I'm here."

* * *

Since then, Draco had been more careful of his emotions, especially around Blaise. He didn't want his friend to think that he was weak. His father had said emotions were for weak people only, and with Blaise being always so cool and calm, he needed to prove that he could do it, too. He could also be cool and calm. He wasn't going to get distressed with all the Professors – well, all the professors except Snape – favoring Potter. He refused to be affected by the fact that the mudblood Granger had outperformed him on the transfiguration quiz last week. He was going to be cool and calm, like Blaise always did.

Sometimes Draco envied Pansy. She could babbled about her thoughts and complained about a lot of things freely. Draco didn't that Pansy was weak just because of that, but then, he reasoned, maybe it was because Pansy was a girl. He wasn't really sure if that was what caused the difference.

One thing that Draco was sure of was – he hated Harry Potter and his little fan club.

-TBC-


	3. Then the Dark Lord Returned

Things didn't get better over the years. In the fourth year, if anything, it got worse. Harry Potter got chosen to compete in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. Goddamn Dumbledore and his golden boy, apparently the age-line was nothing if you were the headmaster's pet.

However, Draco felt immensely better after seeing Potter struggle through the tournament. Also the fought between Potter and Weasley sweetened things up a bit for Draco.

Though, when Potter brought back the corpse of Cedric Diggory and the news of the Dark Lord's return, Draco felt a chill down his spine. _Damn, this boy brings trouble everywhere._ Draco felt sick.

As much as he hated Potter, Draco didn't doubt the truth of this. He heard enough from his father to put the pieces together. He also knew that this wasn't good news for his family, not after all these years all of them thought the Dark Lord had been dead.

He felt panic rising and he really wished that he had someone to confide his fears. The fears that he hid well behind the Malfoy mask.

* * *

Blaise stole a quick glance at Draco after Dumbledore announced the news. The blond paled only slightly, but considering Draco usually had the impassive mask on, Blaise could sense Draco was hit by the news hard. Maybe a lot of people was, but Blaise had figured that it would probably be even a harder time for an ex-Death Eater family. Though considering the circumstances, it probably should be "Death Eater" rather than "ex-Death Eater" now.

Blaise wasn't sure when did he begin to care about Draco's feelings. At first, he thought it was just that he liked reading people, and Draco made an interesting object. Then he thought it should be natural to care, seeing as Draco was his friend, even if it was a Slytherin friendship. But recently he started to wonder if it might be something more than that.

 _Merlin, I can't be falling in love, can I? No, I just can't. Love is just some stupid illusion, after all. Draco's just a friend._

* * *

At first Draco didn't realize that he started to spend a lot of time around Blaise starting in the fifth year. Well, they had always been friends, but he didn't particularly spend more time with anyone specific. Unless you counted Gregory and Vincent, but then no one ever seemed to count Gregory and Vincent, for some reason.

But then, it was easily to find reasons as to why spending time with Blaise was a good thing. Blaise was surely smart, in every aspect, with a vast amount of knowledge from schoolwork to real life and the power plays of Slytherin house. And school gossip, too. But that was more of Pansy's area of expertise. He could also come up with the most flawless plans Draco ever seen.

Then there was the fact that Blaise was also exceptionally handsome, and Draco liked enjoying beauty. From a purely artistic point of view, he told himself. The Malfoys, one of the oldest pureblood families, surely had a great taste for beauty. Appreciating the handsomeness of boys couldn't be wrong, could it? It wasn't as if he was falling in love with them anyway. This was just enjoying beauty.

Even though the Umbridge woman from Ministry favored the Slytherins a lot, Draco found himself disliking her anyway. That woman didn't know a thing about teaching. But he did still find it funny when she and Potter argued in class. That was quite some entertainment. Draco could really do with some entertainment in times like this.

His father had told him about The Dark Lord's return. His father told him that their family should be faithful to the Dark Lord, who would lead them to victory and a better Wizarding World without mudbloods. Draco didn't like mudbloods either, but sometimes he couldn't help but wonder if the Dark Lord's measure were too extreme. He could see how quite a proportion of the wizarding world didn't mind them, especially the side led by Dumbledore, and to achieve the Dark Lord's goal there would surely be wars and bloods and hell to live through.

Draco knew he wasn't ready for that. And he wondered if he'll ever be. As a self-preserving Slytherin, he valued his own well-being and safety. He knew it'd be bloody dangerous to fight a war like this. He hated the fact that when the time came, being a Malfoy, he'd have to fight. On the Dark Lord's side.

Draco didn't like to admit it, but he was afraid. Afraid of a war to come, afraid of the Dark Lord's anger were to fall anytime, afraid that his father would find out that his son feared fighting for the noble cause. What would his father think?

The last few years had been good. Without the Dark Lord returning, he could still taunt the mudbloods and blood-traitors and they could never live so privileged like him. Harry Potter was an idiot who was always favored by Dumbledore, but at least he still got Snape who favored him. His father pressured him to have good grades, but at least back then he didn't pressure him to swear loyalty to the Dark Lord. Why couldn't life just continue like this? Why did the bloody Dark Lord had to return and ruin everybody's fun?

The worst part was that Draco knew he should pretend to be glad of the Dark Lord's return, or else he'd face some serious consequences from his father. But he was just sick of it all.

Unlike the rest of the oblivious Hogwarts students apart from Potter's close friends, the Slytherins knew that Voldemort had returned. Especially the ones who had Death Eater parents. Blaise's mom wasn't one and neither was his current stepfather, but being sharp and extremely sensitive to important changes in the Wizarding World, he also knew. He also gathered from the tense atmosphere in Slytherin that one day his fellow classmates would have to fight other houses, or their parents if they chose otherwise.

He considered himself lucky to not need to make the choice. At least not yet. He'd like to remain neutral as long as possible, just for safety's sake. But he also knew that when the time comes, he might be forced into some sort of decision, too. He hated to think about it, but Blaise was a really pragmatic person. He knew he had to think about it and get prepared.

He didn't believe in the Dark Lord's pureblood ideal but had long pretended to do so, being in Slytherin. But it was easy when you didn't have to fight to prove you believed so. He worried that it would soon change. But he didn't want to fight for the Light Side either, just in case the Dark Side won.

* * *

It was a rather rainy night when quidditch practice was cancelled and he and Draco returned to their dorm. Draco looked quite stressed and sat down tiredly on his bed, even they didn't get the chance to fly tonight. Blaise studied the pale figure in front of him who seemed to be getting more tired every day. The Draco he knew had always concealed his emotions better.

"You don't always have to put the mask on, you know. It's alright to have emotions. Actually, it would help if you show your true feelings in front of your close friends – that way it makes it easier to retain the mask in front of others." He spoke up, looking calmly at Draco.

The other boy shot his head up and gazed back at his best friend. Blaise thought for a moment Draco was going to deny he had some emotions concealed. That he was just tired because of schoolwork or something. Then Draco said, "Easy to say that but I don't see you doing so."

Blaise refrained himself from saying, "just because I don't tell you doesn't mean that I don't tell anybody." That wasn't true and would probably ruin a lot of things. Instead, he drew his breath calmly, and admitted with a smirk, "Yeah, I guess I'm still working on that one, too. You're not the only Slytherin here."

Draco was a bit surprised. Blaise always seemed so cool and without any worries, taking life easily. He wondered what might be behind Blaise's mask.

"How about this. Tonight we'll talk about our worries. I'll tell you one of mine and you tell me one of yours in return. We keep this strictly to ourselves. I'll go first, if you want." Blaise offered. Normally he didn't like going first in these kind of deals, but then again he figured it might help Draco put his defense down a bit.

Blaise knew Draco, with his pride, was unlikely to let anyone know his worries, not even to his friends. It wasn't easy for Blaise either, but he realized it was probably the best way to get Draco talking. And heaven knows how much Draco needed it right now, even if he wouldn't admit it. Blaise decided that he would take the risk of going first, consequences be damned. This was for Draco.

 _It better be worth it,_ Blaise thought with a sigh. _Either I'm getting soft, or I'm really falling for Draco._

Draco squinted. Blaise was willing to spill his secrets to him? Seriously? To say it was a surprise would be an understatement. The carefree, elegant Blaise who seemed to worry about nothing and kept everything to himself? Draco would've laughed at the situation had he not been so depressed.

 _Maybe he knows this is the only way to get me talking,_ Draco thought. _Do I really look that desperately in help? Or is Blaise just too fucking observant even by Slytherin standards? Maybe both._

Draco nodded slowly, and gestured for Blaise to go first. "You first, then," he said, smirking slightly. _Meanwhile I'll decide if I really want to let you know._ It was unspoken but he knew Blaise got the message anyway.

"The Dark Lord returned. The ministry didn't believe that but – but we all know it's true. There aren't any things happening now, but there will soon be. He couldn't have just returned to travel around the world leaving everyone else in peace." Blaise took a deep breath. "It's going to come down to war someday. Or it won't – and that he'll just take over smoothly. But that's still not going to be good. Anyway, it'll be hard to remain neutral sometime in the future. I just don't know when.

"And I'm scared," he added quietly. There, Blaise Zabini just admitted he was scared of something. Under normal circumstances, Draco would joke about it and tease him for the whole week. But this wasn't any normal circumstances.

"You're luckier than me," Draco said bitterly, before he could stop himself. He really shouldn't have admitted that. What would others think? He's Draco Malfoy, it was the others that should think him lucky and be envious of him, not the other way around.

Blaise didn't look shocked at all, or he hid it well. Draco wasn't sure since Blaise could hide feelings well when he wanted to. "I know," Blaise said cautiously, "your family wasn't exactly neutral. They'd try to force you to the Dark Side whether you want it or not."

"What makes you think that I don't want to?" Draco asked coldly. He knew he need to keep the pretense of wanting to join. This was what's expected of him. And if he showed any reluctance and words got back to Lucius …

Blaise studied Draco and could feel the torn under the put-up brave mask of Draco's. Draco shifted uncomfortably under Blaise's penetrating gaze. He had a feeling that Blaise still saw right through him, even with all his pretense.

Blaise gave a non-committal shrug and didn't answer. Then he asked, "So, your turn then, Draco?"

"Maybe I've decided not to tell you after all," Draco said coolly. He looked challengingly at Blaise, while the other looked back calmly.

Blaise had expected this. That's why while he was being honest, but at the same time didn't reveal too much that Draco wouldn't eventually figure out himself. The worries of a neutral family wouldn't be a big surprise to Draco. But Blaise did still let down some of his own defenses and admitted fear. He'd showed Draco it was okay to do that.

"That wasn't exactly upholding to your end of bargain, eh?" Blaise said softly.

"You weren't exactly surprised though, are you?" Draco raised his eyebrows. "Because if you do, I'd think you're an idiot."

Blaise snorted at this. "Well, when you change your mind, you're always welcome to tell me," he replied.

"You meant _if_ I changed my mind," Draco stated.

"No. I meant _when_ you changed your mind. Not _if_." Blaise corrected him, a smirk gracing his features.

Draco narrowed his eyes at Blaise's confidence regarding this matter, but didn't argue. A voice inside him wondered whether Blaise was right or not. Another voice sneered as if to find that previous voice absurd. A very small voice appreciated that Blaise seemed to be caring about him.

Draco felt dizzy as the voices inside his head fought, but he easily managed a typical Malfoy sneer for Blaise anyway. Blaise wasn't the least bit frightened or irritated at this, instead, he flashed back a charming trademark Zabini smile that many girls would fall over for.

For a moment Draco wanted to punch Blaise. But that would mean losing his cool in front of Blaise. That would make him look weak. He resisted the urge.

Blaise watched Draco closely with some amusement, despite still worrying about Draco. The blond was really interesting to observe. He was subtle with emotions but when you get to know him and his quirks, it was possible to understand what kinds of emotions were currently boiling under the impassive mask. Blaise enjoyed observing. Enjoying it a little way too much by normal standards.

* * *

When Blaise went to the showers, Draco pulled out the letter from his mother again. She didn't directly said it, but implied the Dark Lord was coming to stay at the Malfoy Manor. That it should be an honor for the Malfoys to provide their house to the Dark Lord.

Draco felt sick at this. The road to being a Death-Eater seemed inevitable now, with his parents being held hostage. The only real question was _when_.

He sighed, putting the letter down. He really envied Blaise didn't have to face this with his parents being neutral. _No,_ he told himself sternly, _Blaise should envy me of the chance to get into the Dark Lord's inner circle. Not the other way around._

The dark-skinned teenager stepped out of bath, wearing green boxers. A silver-colored towel draped around his shoulders loosely and his black hair was glistening with water. Draco stared at Blaise's muscled body, taking in his handsomeness. Then he quickly turned his eyes back at the letter, sickness returning immediately when he saw his mother's words again.

"Is that," Blaise drawled, sitting down on the chair across Draco, "what's bothering you?"

Draco glanced up. He could feel the heat after a hot shower radiating from Blaise's body. The hot and wet air filling the space between them, slightly making Blaise a little blurry in his eyes. Draco took a moment to refocus. He put the letter away quickly, "none of your business."

"I'll take that as a 'yes'," Blaise shrugged lightly, standing up. Draco didn't reply. He just watched Blaise stood up again and went back to his own bed, putting on the pajamas and sliding into his own bed. Blaise quickly drew up the curtains, disappearing from Draco's sight.

Draco glanced at his watch. It was a little after curfew, but he felt like going out for a walk anyway. He fetched his prefect badge and went out. Maybe he could pretend to be patrolling if he met anyone.

-TBC-


	4. Investigations and Room of Requirement

Draco had been called to Umbridge's office early that day and she asked him to investigate the private group she believed Potter was leading. Draco didn't really enjoying spending time doing legwork for the stupid woman, but he knew she was influential in the ministry and plus he wanted to land Potter in trouble to. So he agreed to help and sounded really polite the whole conversation. Umbridge was happy with this and awarded Slytherin 50 points.

When they were having lunch at the Great Hall, Draco told his fellow Slytherins about his conversation with Umbridge.

"We'll get rewarded if we can bring information to her about Potter's group?" Pansy asked while she cut her steak.

"I think so," Draco replied. "She just gave me 50 points this morning after assigning me the task."

"I don't really care about house points," Theo admitted, "but I think it'll be a good way to remain in her good books. And that woman's really close to Fudge."

The other nodded in agreement.

"It'll be harder if it's just the Gryffindors," Blaise mused, "however, we're sure bound to catch wind of something if it's on a larger scale involving Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff too."

"Time for 'Blaise's ex-girlfriends and ex-boyfriends network' then?" Pansy asked, laughing. Blaise merely rolled his eyes at this.

"Does the network extends to Gryffindors?" Theo asked curiously.

"Look, even for someone as stupid as a Gryffindor knows better to reveal things like that to a Slytherin. It's different than just one-night shagging after the Yule Ball. They won't talk to us about this." Blaise sneered.

"Ooh, who did you -" Pansy began to ask, raising her eyebrows.

"Maybe you over-estimate the Gryffindors' intelligence, Blaise," Draco cut through Pansy. He already knew who Blaise was referring to by the incident after Yule Ball.

Seamus Finnigan. He told himself they shouldn't get distracted in irrelevant details right now, but he knew that there was also a small reason that he didn't really want to discuss the people Blaise shagged. He would get jealous if they were to talk about it. He never got jealous before at these kind of topics, but somehow things were getting different this year.

"Maybe," Blaise agreed, "But I'm think that looking for clues and things out of place ourselves would be a more efficient way."

Draco had to admit that Blaise was right. None of them expect other houses to reveal secrets like that to Slytherins. It was always one against three in Hogwarts rivalry. Slytherin against the rest. The rest never trusted them, and the Slytherins quickly learned to survive by themselves.

* * *

Blaise didn't really feel like humoring Umbridge and her interest in Potter, but he was curious as well. Being a good observer, he prided himself in knowing the things going on in Hogwarts. So he was determined to find out what that group was about. And he wanted Draco to focus something to stay out of his recent stress and misery. He was quite worried about Draco, though most of the time he never showed it. He just kept watch of Draco closely and ready to step in if something occurred. So far, nothing Blaise considered drastic occurred.

Later that night, Blaise suggested to Draco they could go and ask Umbridge for permission to stay out after curfew for their investigation. He knew they both enjoyed the silence and fresh air in the late night greatly. (Though neither of them would admit that they enjoy such trivial things. But he knew it anyway.) Draco immediately agreed to the idea. Though instead of investigating, the just wandered around in the corridors with Umbridge's permission slip, enjoying the night and enjoying being out after curfew.

This made Draco felt privileged. He hated Potter for getting away with school rules because Dumbledore's obvious fondness for the Golden Boy. Now he could enjoy the night out here and if he met Potter he could give him detention for being out of bed. Draco grinned to himself, feeling better than he had been the whole week.

When Draco and Blaise turned around at a corridor, the both of them stopped their tracks immediately after hearing a sounds from closet in the hallway. Draco was ready to fling open the door and gave whoever were in there some detentions but Blaise grabbed him on the arm to stop him. He motioned for him to listen.

Draco squinted but focused on listening, trying to ignore the fact that his pulses sped up with the pressure on his arm due to Blaise's grabbing. He could hear it sounded like a daring young couple making out inside the closet.

Blaise felt the softness of Draco's arm and for a moment indulged himself in some fantasy of pinning the tender body of Draco Malfoy down to bed. Then he refocused on the current situation. He recognized by the girl's laugh and the boy's words that they were Ginevra Weasley and Dean Thomas.

"Maybe we could try this next time in the Room of Requirement," Blaise and Draco heard the Weasley girl panting slightly. "Must be fun. Theoretically it'll provide anything we need."

"Can't believe there's actually these kinds of places in Hogwarts," came Thomas's voice. "Leave it to Harry and Ron to know these, eh?"

Draco and Blaise exchanged a look, both thinking of the same thing. It sounded like Potter knew of a room called Room of Requirement, which would theoretically provide anything requested. Likely a place he was running his little group, if it included not just Gryffindors. They also both knew it would be unwise to spring in now, because that way Weasley and Thomas would suspect they heard the conversation. They couldn't alert the Gryffindors.

Hands still on Draco's arms and not really wanted to let go of it quickly, Blaise decided to lead Draco back to their dorm since they received enough information for tonight. Draco glared at him for dragging him back this way but still followed back quietly. When they were back in the Slytherin common room, Draco hissed, "I know we're getting back. No need to drag me like that!"

Draco was both angry with Blaise for being in control like that over him and enjoying Blaise's touch at the same time. He felt his face reddening a little. _Must be anger,_ he convinced himself.

"Am I too sexy for you to handle?" Blaise teased, tauntingly. Despite appearing to be just joking, Blaise was waiting for Draco's reaction calculatingly.

"How – how dare you suggest that! You're … you're a boy, for Merlin's sake!" Draco replied heatedly, then realizing he reacted too much to a supposed joke. He blushed furiously. Had Blaise noticed that Draco had been staring at him more often this year? _No, he couldn't have. He's just joking._

"Calm down, Draco, that was a joke," Blaise raised an eyebrow, finding Draco's reaction very interesting. "And boys can be sexy too." He smirked.

"Yeah, but I'm not interested," Draco said coolly, trying to restore his calm.

"Of course you aren't, since you just so _vehemently_ denied it." Blaise said, his voice lacing with amusement. He was pretty sure Draco was attracted to his good looks, but for some reason wouldn't admit it. Perhaps just out of pride or perhaps his family would want him to carry on the Malfoy line, making he refuse to acknowledge his interest in boys.

Draco turned away and refused to look at Blaise. He dated Pansy for a while in the 4th year and that was all the experience he had. This really wasn't his field of expertise. Blaise, one the other hand, was quite experienced and had dated both girls and boys. Though all of those always seemed like casual flings or one night stands and nothing serious. Draco didn't mind gay, but he knew that his duty of providing a Malfoy heir required him to marry a girl someday. Therefore he told himself he didn't like boys anyway. He wouldn't worry his parents. So there he was, all confused about his feelings for Blaise.

"Hey, I was just teasing you," Blaise said softly, the amusement gone and now sounding a little concerned. Blaise reached out a hand to cup Draco's cheek gently and moved to face him.

Draco knew he needed to think of something quickly to let Blaise think that he wasn't interested in him at all. He managed a smirk. "Of course I know that. Did my brilliant performance deceived you for a moment?"

Blaise was slightly taken aback. His mind quickly started to analyze the situation and distinguish what part was really just a performance. "Ah, your performance to trick me thinking you've got an excellent taste?" he smirked back, "Not for a minute."

"Excellent taste, my arse," Draco scoffed, wondering in his mind if Blaise bought that. "I'll have you know that Malfoys have excellent tastes."

"Whatever you say," Blaise laughed. "Well, I'm off to bed. Night, Mr. Excellent Taste."

"Night, Mr. Pompous Bastard." Draco snorted.

* * *

"So, where the hell is this Room of Requirement?" Pansy asked as she sat down in the common room the next day. "Is there really such a room like this in Hogwarts?"

"I wouldn't be surprised," Theo replied, "Hogwarts is full of secrets. I think I'll check some of my books to see if there's any information…"

"If it's in a book, it could hardly be a secret, right?" Pansy reasoned.

"Not all of my books are normal library books," Theo said a little smugly.

"I wonder how Potter found out about it, though," Draco frowned. "I mean, who could've told him?"

"He's headmaster's pet after all," Blaise pointed out. He was occupying a whole sofa, lying against one end and his long legs falling loosely on the other. Draco unconsciously stared at the legs.

"Gryffindor Golden Boy always getting everything," Pansy complained. "Obviously _we_ can't get this information from Dumbledore."

"No, because we don't need to sink as low as Potter," Draco said sharply. "We're Slytherins. We're smarter. We don't need Dumbledore for information."

A thought struck Blaise and he slowly pushed himself up from the sofa. As Blaise stood up nonchalantly, Draco saw his shirt lifted up slightly for a moment, revealing the muscly chocolate-colored skin beneath. _Oh sweet Merlin …_

"I'll be back soon," Blaise announced as he got to his feet. Pansy opened her mouth to speak but Blaise gave her no such chance, disappearing quickly behind the common room entrance.

"Probably remember an ex who could give him the information," Theo muttered, not taking his eyes off the book he was reading.

Blaise returned not long after. "Seventh floor," he said crisply.

"That," Theo raised an eyebrow, "was pretty damn fast."

"Faster than you finding out something from the books, I bet." Blaise smirked. Theo huffed.

"Who did you talk to?" Draco couldn't help but question. Theo's earlier words of Blaise's ex came back to him.

"I have my sources," Blaise shrugged. He noticed a flash of jealousy crossed Draco's eyes. Was that because of Draco envying Blaise got information so fast while he couldn't? Somehow, Blaise had a feeling that this wasn't what the jealousy was about. He smiled smugly inwardly as he observed Draco. The grey eyes filled with the passionate jealousy just for an instant … Blaise licked his lips.

"Let's go, I want to see that room," Pansy said, interrupting both Blaise and Draco from their respective train of thoughts.

The four of them made their way to the seventh floor.

* * *

On their way to the room of requirement, Draco pulled Blaise aside and hissed, "Who did you ask, Blaise?"

Blaise sighed. Oh well, maybe he had always got a soft spot for Draco …"the kitchen house-elves."

"What?!"

"Keep your voice down, blondie," Blaise hissed back. "I figure they'd know most of Hogwarts secrets. Anyway, occasionally I'd visit the kitchen to get food and I gather they like me enough to tell me. House-elves are easy to please. Even easier than girls."

"So they told you willingly?" Draco looked disbelieving.

"Even house-elves find me charming, I suppose," Blaise gave Draco a meaningful look. Draco turned away so Blaise would not see him blush.

Blaise placed a gentle hand upon Draco's shoulder while they walked. Draco tensed for a second but forced himself to act nonchalant anyway. They arrived at the seventh floor with neither of them saying another word.

"How do we get in?" Theo broke the silence. "We focus on what we want to make the room appear?"

Blaise nodded, "Yeah."

"How did you know?" Pansy demanded, "You didn't find anything in the books yet!"

"I guessed, Pansy," Theo rolled his eyes. "I mean, look at its _name_."

"Alright," she huffed, "I'll do it then."

Moments later, the four walked into a room with wardrobes filled fashionable dresses, a big desk with all sorts of make-up, a shoes cabinet with expensive looking leather boots and high-heels.

The boys all burst out laughing while Pansy glared at them.

"Typical of you, Pansy," Draco chuckled.

"Oh, shut up," she snapped back, blushing a little.

"Amazing," Theo walked around and examined the place, "Do you think this is the place that Potter's been using?"

"Highly likely," Draco said.

"What do we do now?" Pansy asked. "Stay in here so they can't use it? I could use some time to try all of these."

"Hey, if you're entertaining yourself with these dresses, I'd want some dark-arts books to read to kill the time." Theo said. Suddenly, at a corner of the room appeared a big bookshelf filled with books. Theo gaped. "Now that's something."

Blaise scowled at the two. "Put your own interests aside for a moment, will you? We need a space in the room separated by a wall that we can see the through and observe the space but not the other way around. And our side should be inaccessible from that space. When others came, they'll get access only to the separated space while at least one of us is still here."

The room worked to accommodate Blaise's wishes. A wall appeared with a screen on it, allowing them to see what's going on the other side.

"That's all brilliant and good," Pansy said impatiently, "but if you don't mind, I've got fashion to try on." With that, she walked towards the wardrobes.

"Girls," Theo muttered, sinking into a sofa with a book in hand.

With Potter and his friends not showing any sign of appearance yet, Draco and Blaise joined Theo and made their way to the bookshelf to look for interesting titles.

To their disappointment, nobody showed up that day. A little before curfew, they decided to make their way back.

"Maybe they meet late at night!" Pansy said. "Shouldn't we stay here?"

"That would cause too much a scene, even for attention-seeking Gryffindors like Potter," Draco dismissed the idea. "C'mon, let's go."

-TBC-


	5. Quidditch Match and Late Night Talk

The next day, they decided that since there's a Gryffindor versus Slytherin match there would be no need to stay in the room of requirement and wait. Instead, after breakfast, they made their way down the pitch.

"You know, I can still go to the room to keep an eye if anyone showed up there." Theo offered. They all know Theo never cared much for quidditch and was probably craving for all the classified books he could find from the room.

"They won't be there today! Come to the match, Theo," Pansy pouted. "Please."

"Someone has to keep watch. Maybe some people from Hufflepuff or Ravenclaw in Potter's group will show up there. You never know." Theo reasoned.

"You just aren't interested in quidditch and want to immerse yourself in those bloody books." Pansy accused.

"Yeah, and that too." Theo grinned. "You can come with me and we can make the room to broadcast the match on the screen while you play with the dresses."

"Oh, well …" Pansy hesitated.

"So, you coming, my lady?" Theo did a mock bow and held out a hand to Pansy.

"Fine!" she huffed, taking to his hand. "What about you, Blaise?"

"Wouldn't dare intrude on your little date," Blaise smirked. "Besides, someone has to go and enjoy Draco's performances, right?" He put a hand on Draco's shoulders and squeezed. Then he ushered Draco down the hall, "See you guys later, Theo, Pansy!"

Draco tried to squirm out of Blaise's touch but was unsuccessful. "Blaise," he said warningly. Blaise cocked an eyebrow at him. Draco sighed. He was someone used to being in control in every situation, but when it came to Blaise, the Italian had some mystifying power of being the controlling the situation.

Blaise smirked at Draco's giving in. Though he found Draco attractive with the air of dominance and Malfoy power, he also enjoyed it when Draco caved in to him, even on the smallest things. After all, the Malfoys didn't do this often; it's a matter of principles.

* * *

As Lee Jordan's voice filled the pitch, introducing the players on the field, the match began. Blaise sat down beside Daphne Greengrass and leaned back casually to enjoy the whole scene. He noticed the Gryffindors had a new captain, Johnson. And Potter's best friend Weasel was the new keeper.

"Pansy and Theo didn't come to the match?" Daphne turned to him, looking mildly curious. On the field, Slytherin chaser Vaisey shot a goal in and there was a groan from the Gryffindor end.

"Apparently," he smirked at her, his voice nearly drowned in the cheering waves in the Slytherin-occupied platform. "Very observant, Greengrass."

"Seems like they're dating now, eh?"

"Why Daphne, fishing for gossip?"

"No need to fish for anything, I've got eyes, you know," she smirked back. "I've always known she and Draco wouldn't work out, even before they broke up after the Yule Ball. The Parkinson family's position in the pureblood circles has been falling these past few years while the Malfoys are apparently still at the very top."

"True," Blaise acknowledged. "But I do believe they broke up for other reasons, not over this." He watched as the Spinnet girl from Gryffindor gave a successful shot and a cheer erupted from the Gryffindors.

"Perhaps not, at that time," she agreed, "what I'm saying is it won't work out in the end anyway. I'll bet Lucius Malfoy would want to choose someone from a wealthier and more honored pureblood family."

"Such as the Greengrass family?" Blaise aske coolly. Now his eyes were following Draco in the air, zooming around the pitch, his golden hair slightly messed by the winds.

"Certainly," Daphne said, following Blaise's gaze of Draco.

Blaise knew Daphne was right. The Greengrass family's fortune had increased these past few years while the Parkinson's had decreased because Pansy's dad made some wrong career decisions. And the Greengrass family was also the only few families in the very upper class circles with girls of their age. Most families only have sons.

On the pitch, he could see Potter and Draco still looming around, apparently the snitch not in sight. Draco's hair seemed to glisten under the sun, and his pale skin looked even more marble white in a blurry distance.

"So … you're interested in Draco?" Blaise smirked.

"Actually, no," she returned. "He's too ... cold. Looks all emotionally detached."

"You're one to talk, Slytherin Ice Queen," the corner of Blaise's mouth twitched slightly in amusement.

"Then I need someone more passionate to complement with me, don't I?" she shrugged again.

"You mean, someone like me?" Blaise laughed out. Though he was pretty sure Daphne Greengrass wasn't interested in him. He'd shagged quite a few Slytherin girls before, but never Daphne.

"Don't flatter yourself, Zabini," Daphne rolled her eyes. "I'm afraid I'm just a little out of your league."

"Ah, I'm wounded," Blaise said mockingly. "That was cruel, darling."

Daphne paid no attention to Blaise's pretense. "Astoria is, though."

"Is what, interested in me?" he snorted.

"Not you. Draco."

"She and every Slytherin girl beneath our year," Blaise scoffed. "Ah, don't we all worship the Prince of Slytherin?"

"None of them came from a family such as Greengrass," Daphne said calmly. "They don't stand any chances."

"So determined to marry your young sister? She's thirteen." Blaise said as he continued to look at the pitch. Potter was speeding up and Draco following closely behind. Blaise had a feeling that Potter would catch the snitch.

"You boys just don't understand," Daphne said condescendingly. "This is important for girls."

"Whatever you say," Blaise said lazily. He never understood why girls liked to chat about these kind of plain boring things. Potter was closing in on the snitch and reaching out his hand. _Bloody speed up, Draco,_ he thought.

Potter's hand clasped onto the snitched and the Gryffindors cheered loudly.

"Well, nice chatting with you," Blaise turned to Daphne and smirked, "maybe you should tell your sister to comfort Draco in time like this." What he didn't say was that Draco would probably wouldn't want to be comforted by a younger girl.

* * *

Blaise left for the room of requirement to find Theo and Pansy. Apparently the two remember to leave an entrance for him and Draco to see but not anyone else.

Pansy looked upset by the Slytherin losing but Theo looked just as usual, flipping through the books. Blaise nodded hello to them, "anyone been here?"

"No one," Theo replied. "But they might later today, so we should wait here. Draco coming soon?"

"Probably after showers," Blaise shrugged. "Want a game of Wizarding Chess, Theo?"

"Sure," Theo put down the book, laughing, "If you want to lose so much, who am I to deny you?"

* * *

Draco was in a terrible mood, as he always had been after losing to Potter. He spent some time just letting the hot water pound on him, closing his eyes to enjoy a good bath. He was not in a hurry, he knew the other 3 would keep an eye on the Room of Requirement for him.

After deciding he probably wasted enough water, he stepped out of the showers and found everyone else on the team had left. Feeling exhausted, he threw his bag over his shoulders and left.

When he got to the room, he announced he would sleep for a while and instructed the others to wake him if Potter showed up.

Potter didn't come. When he woke up it was already half past one in the afternoon. Pansy and Theo were nowhere to be seen and Blaise was reading a book on another sofa.

"Where are Theo and Pansy?" Draco yawned and tried to get up.

"Still at lunch, I presume," Blaise said, looking up from the book.

"Can't we just ask the room for food?"

"Apparently not," Blaise stood up and came to sit beside Draco. "Even a room like this had to follow some limitations, I suppose."

"And why didn't you go with them?" Draco raised his eyebrow. "Potter wouldn't risk that many people disappearing at lunch hour. Umbridge would be suspicious."

"Wasn't that hungry," Blaise shrugged, not saying he wanted to stay with Draco for his own reasons. "Figured I'd rather be overly cautious."

"Well, why don't you go grab some food for both of us while I stay watch?"

"I thought you just said that Potter wouldn't come at this hour. Why don't we all go?"

"I thought you want to be over cautious."

"You're just too lazy to leave the room."

"I spent this morning flying! I had every right to rest. Go get the food, Blaise." Draco folded his arms across his chest.

"Fine … your wish is my command," Blaise smirked, leaning forward to brush some of Draco's hair away from his forehead. "And your trying to be intimidating is rather cute." Draco tensed slightly at the touch but scowled at the mention of the word 'cute'. Then Blaise stood up quickly and left.

* * *

10 minutes later, Blaise returned with food. He sat down beside Draco. "Seeing as you're so tired from this morning, do you need me to feed you?" he teased.

"Don't fucking treat me like a baby," snapped a very irritated Draco, grabbing the fork in Blaise's hand.

"I treat you like a royalty, Prince of Slytherin," Blaise smirked, but gave him the fork anyway. Draco huffed and began eating.

* * *

Fortunately for them, a D.A. meeting was held out that evening. They watched as Potter taught the group defense, and Draco had to admit that Potter did impressed him a little and he definitely taught better than Umbridge did. But he still wanted to wipe the glowing quidditch-victory smile from Potter's face.

"Draco, relax a little, will you?" he heard someone said that and felt a pair of hands on his shoulders. It was Blaise. "You look like you want to go there and murder Potter." He gently massaged Draco's shoulders.

"Maybe I do," Draco scowled.

"No you don't, that would need too much Gryffindor rashness which you don't have," Blaise smirked.

"I don't think Potter's doing this purely because of Umbridge," Theo said suddenly.

"Why else?" Pansy demanded. Theo did not answer. But both Blaise and Draco understood what he meant. Potter probably wanted to prepare against the Dark Lord and Death-Eaters – whom some of the Slytherins would undoubtedly join in a few years.

"Doesn't matter," Theo glanced at Pansy. "We should report to Umbridge."

Blaise did not like the idea very much. To him, Potter leading this kind of army was actually a good thing in his opinion. It increased the chance of the Dark Lord not taking over. But he wasn't going to tell them this. "You should be the one to go, Draco. Since she gave you the mission."

Draco nodded. For a moment, Blaise thought he could see some hesitation in Draco's eyes, but it disappeared so fast that he couldn't be sure if he just imagined it. "Blaise, come with me."

"Why?"

"Just come with me," Draco snapped.

"Alright, alright," Blaise rolled his eyes and got to his feet.

As they stepped out of the room, Blaise asked, smirking, "craving for my company so much?"

"Very funny," Draco scoffed. Then grew serious. "Should we really report to Umbridge?"

"Any reason not to?" Blaise asked, keeping his voice neutral.

Draco bit his lips. As much as he hated Potter, he did wonder if it might actually be a good thing for a group like this to exist. But he couldn't say it. He was supposed to be loyal to the Dark Lord, and approving of Harry Potter's little defense club wasn't exactly something he should do.

"If you don't want to report back, you shouldn't have told Theo and Pansy in the first place." Blaise said quietly. "You couldn't _not_ report back now. They would get suspicious. And their parents are death eaters too. Mine are neutral."

Draco looked at Blaise hard in the eyes, it was almost as if Blaise knew he didn't want to fight for the Dark Lord … "Let's just go," he said abruptly.

Blaise nodded understandingly. Draco felt that he absolutely hated being seen through. He was a Malfoy, he did not let others know how he felt.

* * *

Umbridge was not at her office, to which Draco was secretly grateful. They didn't seem to find her anywhere. So in the end they had to return back to the room. The other two didn't seem to be happy with this.

"So do we just have to wait for the next time they have a meeting?" Pansy complained, "I'm missing the common room now. We can't be coming here every day."

"How about we just tell Umbridge?" Theo suggested.

"She'll need evidence. She already knew this group's existence anyway. " Draco said.

"And I'm not keen on sharing memory with that woman," Blaise grimaced, "but if any of you want to …"

None of them volunteered. The Slytherins didn't like sharing private stuff such as memories to others.

"Guess I'll just give her the names first then," Draco sighed.

* * *

That night in the dorm, after a silencing charm put on. Draco asked Blaise, "Why do you like remaining neutral?"

"Same reason as you," Blaise replied steadily.

"Oh? I wasn't aware that I'm neutral." Draco cocked an eyebrow.

"I meant, the same reason why you're on that side." Blaise looked Draco straight into the eyes. "Because that's the side your family's on. Because you're doing what you think is the best for surviving."

"Isn't this a bit of … thinking too lowly of me? That I'm just doing it for survival?" Draco sneered. "I hate mudbloods and blood-traitors too. I believe the Dark Lord's cause."

Blaise looked totally unimpressed. "There's no need to pretend when there's just two of us here. I know you don't like them, but I don't think you want to kill them all either. Nor do I think you'll like the world we have to live in if the Dark Lord rules one day."

Draco said nothing and refused to look Blaise in the eyes. "Maybe you thought wrong."

"I rarely do," Draco wondered why Blaise sounded like stating a fact instead of sounding smug.

"For Merlin's sake, you're wrong!" Draco said, frustrated.

"Whatever," Blaise said coolly, beginning to draw the curtains around his bed. "Suit yourself."

Draco bit his lips. Hell, he was _so_ going to regret this but … "Wait, Blaise."

Blaise stopped his actions for a moment and looked expressionlessly at Draco. "Yeah?"

Draco wasn't sure what to say. He couldn't just say things so freely … not with his family background. In the end, he blurted, "What do you think about mudbloods being inferior?"

"Me?" Blaise raised an eyebrow, and replied calmly. "I think it's a useful tool for someone like the Dark Lord. For someone who wanted support from Pureblood families. Powerful campaign to gain followers from the oldest and wealthiest in the society. Spreading the idea for purifying the society."

"A campaign?" Draco repeated.

"Yeah. It doesn't really matter if it's true or not. As long as some people are willing to believe that, he could gain power through their support. Quite Slytherin." Blaise smirked.

"Do you believe that?" Draco pressed.

"I do believe it's a working campaign," Blaise answered smoothly, leaning against his bed casually.

"Zabini! That's not what I'm asking." Draco growled, glaring at Blaise.

"So? Does it really matter if I believe it or not? I'd rather still stay neutral and let other people fight their battles defending their beliefs. You know, I'm pretty selfish." He smiled crookedly at Draco. Blaise wasn't sure if he might change his mind if his involvement became something that would make a difference, but that was for later worries.

"But we should believe that. We're Slytherins." Draco said coldly. _Fucking charming git, smiling like that,_ he thought angrily.

"Since when do Slytherins just simply believe? Blindingly loyal is a Hufflepuff trait the last time I checked." Blaise smirked. "Slytherins are skeptical by nature. But they can pretend to believe something for their own benefits."

Draco said nothing. Blaise continued, "And sometimes … they're tricked into believing something's benefits are greater than the risks."

"Such as?" Draco asked, not looking at Blaise.

"Well … hypothetically speaking. Let's pretend you're a power-thirsty sadist and you fought and won against who's in reign of the country. Now it's all under your control. Wouldn't you just get _too_ bored? But now the enemies all gone, who could you have your fun with?" Blaise moved to sit on Draco's bed and looked directly into Draco's eyes.

Draco gulped. He had heard about how the Dark Lord punished his followers for failing the missions. What Blaise was implying was quite likely to become the truth, if the Dark Lord were to win.

"Well … hypothetically speaking too. If someone were scared by this prospect, why won't they fight for the Light Side?"

"I thought that one was obvious. Maybe because they don't want to be killed if the Dark Side won."

"Some would call that cowardice." Draco sneered.

"And some call it survival." Blaise retorted. "Self-preservation over bravery and umm … remind me which one was a Gryffindor trait and which one Slytherin?"

Draco remained silent. Then he cleared his throat and said tiredly, "Yeah, you were right. I don't want to fight for … him."

"Is it time to say 'I told you so'?" Blaise smirked.

"Arse," Draco muttered and smacked Blaise on the arm.

Blaise sobered up. "But your family isn't giving you a choice exactly, right?"

Draco nodded silently. Suddenly he felt like crying. But Malfoys didn't cry. They just … shouldn't. "Blaise … I …," he began, wanting to ask Blaise to lie beside him tonight. But he really couldn't bring himself to ask the kind of question. He looked at Blaise pleadingly and hoped he would get the message.

Blaise gazed at Draco intently. He could feel Draco's distress but wasn't sure if that goddamn Malfoy pride would allow Draco to seek comfort.

"Well, it's a bit cold tonight, want to come to my bed so we'll feel warmer together?" Blaise said in an attempt of false cheeriness.

"Are you –" Draco didn't manage to get the words 'pitying me' out.

"Seducing you? Maybe." Blaise winked. He grabbed the slender blond by hand and yanked him onto his own bed before Draco could protest. Then he drew both beds curtains and put on a silencing charm just in case.

"Fuck you," Draco muttered as he fell onto Blaise's bed heavily.

"Well, don't say that unless you _really_ want me to take up the offer," he could hear Blaise's voice just beside him, sounding highly amused. _Bastard._

Draco decided to ignore him and kept his eyes shut, trying to sleep. Luckily Blaise didn't say anything else to disturb him. Feeling that Blaise was just lying beside him and that he wasn't completely lonely, Draco felt slightly safer, though he was still worried about many things. Slowly, he fell asleep.

-TBC-


	6. The Morning After

Blaise watched Draco slept. He sympathized his best friend's situation but wasn't really sure how he could help either. Gazing at the slender figure beside him, he wanted to hug him to comfort him. This time not because Draco looked bloody sexy but because he also looked so fragile and torn.

He sighed inwardly and moved a little closer to Draco. For a quidditch player, Draco was quite bony. But then again, Potter was small for their age, too. He supposed it was a quality of seekers. Feeling Draco's breath grew steady, he relaxed himself and closed his eyes. As he closed his eyes, he began having wild fantasies of Draco and him playing on his bed.

Blaise did not want to think he was in love with Draco. He liked to think of them as best friends … with the addition that they were attracted to each other's body. He didn't see anything wrong in that. To him, these two things were independent. He never really believed in a steady relationship, having seen many examples from his mother. So even as he cared and worried for Draco and was attracted to Draco's body, he was content with the friendship they had and weren't really keen to develop it into a relationship. While many relationships ended quickly, friendships seemed much more long-term. By staying friends, he wouldn't lost Draco.

Not long after Draco fell asleep, Blaise joined him.

* * *

Draco yawned as he woke up, then watched his surroundings and remembered that he wasn't in his own bed. He rolled his body over and tried to get up, the stir of movement causing Blaise to blink his eyes open.

"Morning, Draco," Blaise said sleepily.

"Morning Blaise," he replied, looking at Blaise's tall and dark-skinned body. So different from his own yet so infuriatingly eye-attracting. Black hair falling down his face yet didn't hide the handsome features. And when the pair of eyes flutter open, he could see the beautiful blue crystals that seemed to contain some exotic mystery. The mouth that twitched into a knowing smirk ever so often that he wanted to kiss it off Blaise's face –

"You alright?" the mouth Draco was studying moved. Draco wondered when exactly did he started feeling Blaise's voice as sexy in the back of his mind.

"Yeah, thanks for … last night," Draco said, feeling a little awkward for saying thanks.

"What are best friends for, right?" Blaise grinned. Suddenly, he rolled over, pushed himself up, and came face to face with Draco. Now Draco was starting to think that those kinds of charming crooked grins really should be illegal.

Before Draco could figure out why he said his next words, they slipped from his lips. "Definitely not for snogging."

"Really?" Again the highly amused voice. _This voice should be banned too,_ Draco thought. "Were you thinking about it?"

"Hell no!" Draco sounded offended.

"Yes you were. You wouldn't've brought this up out of nowhere." Blaise smirked casually.

"Zabini, did I mention I want to punch you?" Draco gritted his teeth.

"Not until now," Blaise said. Then he moved forward, tilted Draco's chin upward, and crushed his lips against Draco's. Gently stroking Draco's hair with another hand, he deepened the kiss, tongue invading into Draco's mouth. _Fucking delicious._

Draco tried to fight back with all his rationale but his body was quickly giving into the pleasure. Trying to resist the wonderful taste of Blaise's mouth, he struggled yet started to kiss back at the same time. _Bloody manipulating fucker._

Blaise's hand that was originally grasping Draco's hair traveled down into his silk shirt, exploring. Draco moaned and finally gave in resisting, his own hands running up and down on Blaise's back. Blaise's hands traveled further down and grabbed Draco's hips. Neither of them had broken the kiss so now they were both craving for some air. Finally, Draco pulled away from Blaise's mouth and breathed large breaths. "I hate you," he groaned, slightly moving away from Blaise.

"Not my mouth," Blaise smirked, drawing his hands away from Draco.

"I hate you," Draco repeated. He kicked his legs and stood up.

For a moment Blaise contemplated of apologizing, but he decided against it. That had never been how he and Draco's friendship worked. Perhaps he would consider it again when situation really got out of control, but for now… The smirk of his grew wider as he said, "Draco, you're so hot."

Draco had to admit that the kiss was … highly enjoyable. From a physical aspect. But his mind told him he shouldn't enjoy this or want this. Getting involved with a boy – and none other than his best friend – was not the best idea. Not what his parents would be happy to find out of. He said sharply, "Blaise, I'm not one of your little girlfriends."

"I would never dare compare you to them," Blaise replied evenly, his mind quickly analyzing Draco's expression and body language.

"Then what was that little display?" Draco folded his arms across his chest, his tone dead cold.

"If you consider it little, you shouldn't have minded." Blaise dodged the question.

Having been pushed to his limits, Draco, in an astonishing speed, took out his wand and casted a silent _Levicorpus_ that left Blaise hanging in the air and kept his wand pointing at Blaise. Blaise's wand slipped out of his pockets and he reached to grab it but it fell too quickly. Draco sneered.

He could usually frighten or anger others when he did this, but this was Blaise. Despite being hanged in the air upside down and wandless, he looked … almost bored and lazy. _And just how could someone still manage to exude that air of elegance being hanged upside down?_

Blaise silently cursed himself for being caught off guard like this, but he didn't show it. It was sort of a humiliating position, but he knew when in these kind of positions it was best to act nonchalant to avoid humiliation. Luckily, that was his field of expertise. He gazed at the sneering Draco lazily.

"If I apologize, will you let me down?" Blaise asked, in a calm tone.

Draco sneered, "No."

"Good, then I don't need to bother apologizing," Blaise smirked. Draco glared at him, loss for retort.

"I didn't mean that you _don't need to_ ," Draco said coldly.

"You used _Levicorpus_ on me," Blaise rolled his eyes, "I'll say we're even. Actually, not so much since I believe you enjoyed the kiss more than I enjoy hanging up there, but I'm willing to be generous. " He smiled cheekily.

"Now, remember I have a wand, and you don't," Draco said warningly.

"Sweet reminder Draco, but thanks, I remember crystal clear."

The two looked at each other for a moment, and Draco raised his wand higher threateningly. Blaise continued to look at him evenly. Under Draco's cold fury, he was frustrated. People were supposed to be afraid when a Malfoy confronted them! Not like _this_. He run a hand through his hair out of frustration before realizing he had just shown weakness by the gesture.

Blaise watched Draco's cool demeanor broke down slightly and frustration shown, feeling it was definitely harder to read people when the world was upside down. He'd have to work on that sometime. Blaise was never scared off by Draco's anger or threats, but he didn't really know how to deal with Draco being … upset.

Blaise came to a decision. He opened his mouth and spoke as sincerely as he could manage, "That was … out of line. I apologize."

Draco looked startled by Blaise's sudden change in the attitude. He stared in disbelief and then twitched his mouth, "Now that's something I don't hear often. Blaise Zabini apologizing?"

"Well … feel flattered. I don't do it often." Blaise offered a small smile.

Draco wasn't sure why, but he felt his anger quenched.

Blaise considered bribing his way out of the situation. Now would probably be a good moment. It was definitely a typical Slytherin thing to do. However, he was a Slytherin, but in no way typical. "Draco," Blaise spoke, his voice soft as he touched a dangerous topic. "Are you thinking about your parents' opinion on this?"

Draco shuddered. Now he had a feeling of being seen through again. Seriously, how did someone do that hanging upside down? He had been thinking about how his parents wouldn't approve and expected an heir, and how _delicious_ the kiss had been.

Blaise continued, "Do you … want to talk about it? Preferably with me back on the ground, that is."

Draco flicked his wand and in a moment, Blaise dropped hard onto the ground, rather than his own bed. They both knew that it was done on purpose. Blaise groaned as he stood up and rubbed his aching side. "I suppose I deserved it," he smiled ruefully as he sat down on the bed and gently pulled Draco to sit down beside him. Draco didn't protest.

"We really shouldn't get involved. Father will kill me. I need to marry a Pureblood girl and produce an heir." Draco blurted out suddenly.

Blaise hesitated. There was probably a reason why people didn't go around kissing best friends. It's so much harder when you actually cared … "I understand that. I … okay. I care about you. I like you. As a friend. Best friend. That, and the fact that I find you physically attracting are two different matters. And … if you don't like it, I won't do it again."

"I can't like it. I shouldn't like it." Draco muttered. Blaise could sense there was a 'but' in there.

"I'd actually prefer to remain friends too." _Because I don't really believe in love … it rarely lasted anyway, right? But friendship … that sounded like something that could last._ "Though that doesn't mean we couldn't … er … enjoy each other's bodies." Draco looked indignant and wanted to cut through. Blaise beat him to it. "Only if you're okay with it, that is. Truth is, you're just so attractive, Draco." _Truth is that I fucking want to pin you down on this bed and –_

"Well, I'm a Malfoy," Draco allowed a small smile. "That's hardly surprising that I attract people." He stopped for a moment. "So … we're still … just best friends? Um, best friends that can be … physically involved?" he cringed as he said the words.

"Yeah. I believe there's a term called … friends with benefits." Blaise's smirk had returned to his face.

Draco stared at Blaise. Oh, how he wanted to kissed that smirk off his face … "Sounds … beneficial," he finally managed.

* * *

"Blaise, you looked like your shoulders are aching," Theo commented as they sat down for DADA class. Blaise stopped rubbing his left shoulder and stole a quick glance at a very smug and unapologetic Draco.

"So touching, Theo. I thought you're too busy burying yourself in the books to notice what's going on between your classmates." Blaise drawled.

"Are you okay?" Pansy asked with a worried expression. "Did you get into a fight or -?"

"I'm fine," Blaise snapped while Draco's smirked at him. He shot the blond a filthy look. Before anyone could say anything else, Umbridge walked into the classroom and the chattering students fell silent. As she gave instructions to read from the textbook, the whole class dutifully opened their book and pretended to read the assigned pages.

Hermione Granger was reading another more advanced book under her desk, but she cast a charm so the advanced book looked like a blank notebook to everyone else. Ron Weasley was closed to falling asleep due to boredom. Harry Potter seemed to be brooding as he stared at the same spot on the textbook.

Theo, like Hermione, was reading a more advanced book, only he charmed the covers to look like the textbook. Pansy was painting her nails under the desk, as if hoping that Umbridge would be more tolerant with Slytherins. Blaise was pretending to read the textbook but actually doing what he did best – reading people in the classroom. Unlike others who pretended to read, he remembered to flip the page every few minutes.

Draco took out an essay for potions to work on, knowing full well Umbridge wouldn't question him about it. He was right. But later he noticed that Umbridge wasn't picking on the Gryffindors either, only sitting at the front busily writing on her clipboard.

The class ended with Umbridge announcing that they would continue next week and asked Draco to stay behind. Draco sighed to himself, knowing Umbridge probably wanted to know his progress on Potter. Blaise gave him a quick squeeze in the hand and murmured quietly, "I'll wait for you outside."

Draco nodded and offered Blaise a small smile. Blaise smiled back, a rare genuine smile rather than the usual smirk.

"So, did you find out anything on Potter?" Umbridge was quite straight to the point. She looked eager.

Draco debated on how much to tell her. He decided to give Umbridge the names of who attended – those he remembered, anyway, since he wasn't that familiar with the names from other houses – and that they met last night in a classroom on seventh floor but he didn't know when was the next meeting or it they would meet at the same place again. Umbridge was pleased with the names and told him to go to her as soon as he knew when and where they were planning to meet.

* * *

The next two classes were Potions and quite enjoyable for Draco, as he watched Snape criticizing the Gryffindors. Neville Longbottom exploded his cauldron again but it was a rather routine incident rather than a shocking one. He managed to create a Dizziness Drought just before the class ended, but was slightly irritated by the fact that Granger finished 10 minutes earlier than he did.

Lunch came next. He saw many students gathered around the bulletin board and found and announcement of this weekend being a Hogsmeade weekend. Then he noticed a younger Slytherin girl approaching him. He racked his brains and found her name, Astoria Greengrass.

"Yes?" Draco drawled, straightening his prefect badge a little.

"I was wondering, would you like to come to the Hogsmeade with me this weekend?" Astoria spoke with an air of confidence, like a well-raised pureblood girl. Out of the corner of his eyes, Draco saw Pansy narrowed her eyes at the younger girl, Theo watched raised his head from the books and watched in amusement, and Daphne gazing at them intently without any expression whatsoever. Draco didn't look to see how Blaise reacted, he wasn't sure what he would want to see.

Pansy was annoyed. She and Draco dated a bit in the fourth year, and had gone to the Yule Ball because everyone assumed they would go together, including themselves. She wasn't sure how but after a while they both seemed to cool off and went back to being friends. Although she currently harbor no romantic feelings toward Draco and recently became more interested in Theo, she prided herself as the one being closest to the 3 most handsome and smart boys of Slytherin in their year. She would not have other girls intruding their circle. And asking Draco out to Hogsmeade, to Pansy, was definitely considered intruding.

Although she didn't not consider other girls dating Blaise intruding, Pansy would deny that it was because she still loved Draco. No, it was because Draco rarely dated anyone. And most people were too scared of him to approach him. Blaise, on the other hand, never lacked female company but none of them serious relationships. However, Draco, unlike Blaise, didn't associate with girls often. So when a girl appeared, there was potential of it turning serious. And no, she did not consider Draco more than a good friend now, but she wouldn't let other girls have any sort of chance to get closer to Draco than she did.

Draco thought Pansy was being over-protective. The girl seemed to consider herself his mother and fend off all others approaching him. He rolled his eyes. He didn't think Pansy was still interested in him romantically, since she seemed to be spending more time with Theo since fifth year. Well, he didn't need another mother. One was definitely enough. To annoy Pansy, he smiled at Astoria, "Sure."

Draco felt smug as Pansy glared at Astoria. Well, this would teach her a lesson, he didn't need protection. He was capable of doing things on his own.

Blaise eyed the Slytherin table calculatingly. He wasn't sure how he felt about all this, so he pushed his own emotions away and started analyzing how everyone else felt about this. Astoria was smiling and her elder sister had a look of victory on her face, Pansy was irritated, Theo had been interested by the exchange but already turned his attention back to the books. Gregory and Vincent were still eating as if nothing happened. All other girls were glaring at Astoria, their expressions screaming jealousy. Draco looked smug, probably because he could annoy Pansy.

They all turned when they saw a girl in Gryffindor robes walking towards them, and two boys trailing behind her. Draco's face turned into a typical Malfoy sneer, "What are you doing here, Mudbl—?"

Hermione Granger paid no attention to him as she hissed at Theo, "You were supposed to return _Jinxes for the Jinxed_ yesterday."

Theo raised an eyebrow at her, "So?"

"But you haven't!" Granger said, "I checked with Madam Pince last week about the book but she said it was already borrowed and it would be returned on Sunday, which is yesterday. I went to the library today and Madam Pince told me that it was you who still haven't returned it –"

"It's just a book, Mudblood," Pansy spat. She was in an annoyed mood already and didn't feel like being polite to a Gryffindor barging in the Slytherin table. Not that she ever felt like being polite to any mudblood anyway.

"It's not just a book. It' a _library_ book," Granger said to Pansy, as if she were talking to a 3-year-old. "Library books were supposed to be returned on time."

"Don't call her that!" Weasley snarled at Pansy. Granger seemed already accustomed to the term Mudblood but it Weasley looked quite angry.

"I'll call her anything I want!" Pansy screeched.

"You should go back before I consider giving you all detentions for making a ruckus at our table," Draco interjected coolly.

"You're not the only one that's a prefect here –" Weasley began.

"But you're the ones not at your own house table," Draco smirked.

Theo decided that it was no longer a conversation centered on him and went back to his book. Blaise looked at Potter and made a quick decision. He stood up and swift grabbed Potter and said, "Looks like we're intruding a Prefect gathering." Before anyone else could react, he swept away from the Great Hall with Potter on his arms.

"Zabini –" Potter began but was cut off by Blaise.

"Quiet, Potter, I need to talk to you alone."

"Harry –" Ron spun back to grab Harry but was forced to stop as Umbridge chose to walk up at them at the moment.

"What's going on right here?" she said in a dangerously sweet voice.

-TBC-


	7. Thestrals

"Umbridge knows about your little group gathering … in the Room of Requirement." Blaise wasted no time to get to the point.

Potter's eyes widened in shock before saying, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Blaise didn't expect anything else anyway. "I know you won't admit it to me. I'm just telling you she knew about it. She knows some people in your group and you met yesterday at seventh floor, but she doesn't know it was in that room. She thought it's a random seventh floor classroom."

"Why are you telling me all this?" Potter narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"So you owe me something," Blaise said coolly. "My family has always remain neutral, but it would be … a good investment in the long run for me if the boy-who-lived owe me a favor."

"You're neutral?" Potter sounded still suspicious. Well, he couldn't really blame him.

"Not all Slytherins are on the Dark Side, Potter," Blaise grimaced.

"Right …" Potter stammered. "What if your … housemates found out you told me this? What if I told Umbridge you informed me?"

"I'll tell them I was blackmailing you into giving me information on your little group," Blaise said easily. "And my friends decided I was the best person to do this because my neutral family background."

"And how do I know if that wasn't your real intention?" Harry asked.

 _Quite smart for a Gryffindor._ "Well, I'm not asking you any information, am I? I'm just warning you."

"Really? So … you won't do that in the future either?"

"If I do, you could just refuse me the information," Blaise said impatiently. _Well, Potter's sharper than I imagined. I suppose that's a good thing._

Potter nodded. "Well, thanks … for telling me this. What should I do now?"

 _Sharp, but nevertheless still a Gryffindor._ "That'll be for you and your friends to figure out," Blaise replied. And he swept out of the classroom, leaving Harry.

* * *

Blaise went back to the Slytherin table, where Pansy told him brightly that Weasley and Granger got detention from Umbridge. _This girl is really easy to satisfy._

"What were you doing out there with Potter?" Draco asked.

"Asking him out to Hogsmeade," Blaise said with a straight face while the others around him spluttered.

"What? It's important to fraternize with the Golden Boy," he smirked.

"You can't be serious," Pansy exclaimed, "he's Potter!"

"So?"

"You're lying," Draco narrowed his eyes.

Blaise leant towards Draco, "jealous much, Draco?"

"Of course not," Draco snapped, "we might be … well … you know. But we're still just friends. You can go out with anyone you want and so can I." That was a lie. He did felt a tinge of jealousy but … this was irrelevant since he was sure Blaise couldn't possibly ask Potter out.

"Alright, I was joking," Blaise said in a low voice, placing a hand on Draco's left arm soothingly. "I'll tell you back at dorm."

"And what did he say?" Theo questioned, casually flipping the book that got Granger so angry in the first place.

"What did you think, Theo?" Blaise rolled his eyes. "It's _Potter_. Of course he refused."

"Never thought you would ever be refused," Theo sniggered.

"Well, never by girls," Blaise smirked, picking up his fork and dug in the spaghetti.

* * *

By the afternoon, rumors of Blaise Zabini asking Harry Potter out to Hogsmeade and got refused was flying all over Hogwarts. Harry, who didn't want to worry others that the Slytherins and Umbridge seemed to know about DA, decided he could just go along the rumors right now. At least Zabini had the decency to make himself the one being refused in the story, so Harry didn't mind that much.

Blaise made his way to Arithmancy and found an empty seat. None of his best friends took the course with him; sometimes he sat with Tracy Davis who's also from Slytherin and sometimes with Ravenclaws. But today, Hermione Granger sat herself down beside him.

"Granger," he raised his eyebrows, "what a pleasant surprise."

Hermione scoffed at this. "As if. We both know how you felt about a _Mudblood_ sitting beside you."

"That's only half right, Granger," Blaise said coolly. "Only one of us know, and – don't get too surprised now – it's not you."

Hermione looked taken aback for a second, but quickly got to the point of why she was here. "What were you and Harry talking about when you pulled him away?"

"And here I was, thinking you're going to thank me for keeping him out of detention with you and Weasley," Blaise said teasingly, "Well, I was asking him out to Hogsmeade, I'm sure you've heard."

"Quit joking, Zabini," she snapped.

"Why don't you ask Potter?" he couldn't help question. "Surely you should trust him to tell you the truth them trust _me_ to."

"I haven't got a chance to," she frowned, "then I heard of the rumors, which I found absurd to believe. I'll ask Harry later, but I might as well ask you since you're here."

"So you asked, but yet, you don't believe me," Blaise said matter-of-factly. "Maybe you should confirm with Potter later then."

Granger huffed but did not say anything else as the class started.

As the class ended and Blaise was about to leave, Granger spoke to him once again. "Could you ask Nott to return the book? I couldn't let Umbridge see me or Ron going over to the Slytherin table."

"I'll remind him, but I can't guarantee that he'll listen," Blaise smirked. "Why do you need it so desperately anyway?"

"I don't need it _desperately_ ," Granger snapped, "but it's a library book and it should be returned on time."

"That is the library's concern, not yours," Blaise remarked. "Must Gryffindors always poke their heads into matters that don't concern them?"

"I'm another student who's interested in reading that book!"

"Just as I said, desperate—" he drawled.

"I'm not desperate," she snapped. "Desperation and interest are two different things!" With that, she turned and stormed away from the classroom.

* * *

"Of all the books – that are not related to homework – in the library, you and Granger just happened to want to read the same one," later that day, as Blaise sat down on a sofa in Slytherin common beside Theo, he made the comment.

"Nerdy minds think alike, Blaise," Draco snickered, leaning slowly onto Blaise's shoulders, as if testing he was okay to do that. Blaise responded by moving a little closer towards Draco. He could feel that Draco's back loosen a little after his gesture.

"Draco!" Pansy looked affronted. "You just compared Theo to a mudblood?"

"It was actually a book from the room of requirement," Theo said, ignoring Draco's jabs and Pansy's indignation. "I remembered seeing it on the shelf that appeared for us. Though I already borrowed that book from the library before it didn't interest me as much as the other books."

Blaise furrowed his brows, "Can you take a book out of the room?"

"If it's brought from outside, yes. No if it was conjured by the room," Theo explained.

"Interesting…" Blaise hummed as he ruffled Draco's hair. "That would explain where her interest of the book originated."

Draco tried to be annoyed with Blaise playing with his hair, he really did. But somehow it felt … nice. Enjoyable. Though after a few minutes, he decided it was enough and pushed himself up from Blaise then looked at Blaise with a defiant expression.

"What, Drake?" Blaise raised an eyebrow at him.

"Stop touching my hair," he said coldly.

"If you minded, you wouldn't have let me do this for so long," Blaise whispered into Draco's ear, smirking.

Draco's temper raised but Blaise smoothed Draco's hair back quickly and raised his hands in surrender, "Just joking."

Draco huffed in annoyance and leant against the sofa rather than onto Blaise again. Blaise shrugged nonchalantly then ignored him, and turned Theo to discuss the Transfiguration homework.

* * *

What Theo didn't tell the others was that he actually didn't need to return the book for another 3 weeks. Last week, when he was a library, he overheard Granger asking Pince about the book. Since she had just been asking about it and didn't put her name on the waiting list, he had been able to return the book and checked it out again after she had left.

He did so for several reasons. First, he hadn't finished the book and it was quite interesting, and he was too lazy to go to the Room of Requirement just to read a particular book. Another reason was that if Granger couldn't get her hands on the book from the library, she would need to go to the RoR for it, risking being noticed by Umbridge the more she went there.

And of course, it was always fun to annoy the Gryffindors. Particularly Potter, Weasley, and Granger. Especially Granger. It was amusing to see her riled up, as she was usually considered the most sensible of the group. The brain of the Golden Trio. It gave Theo an odd kind of satisfaction that he had caught her attention –

 _What?_ Theo's thoughts came to a sudden halt. _A mudblood's attention? Seriously?_ He shook his head and tried to clear his thoughts. It must be the stress or something. _As if I cared about a mudblood's attention! Totally ridiculous._

He refused to acknowledge the fact that it did feel oddly good that for once, the mudblood Granger came to fight the Slytherins with not Draco but him.

"Are you listening to me, Theo?" Pansy's voice brought Theo back reality. She was pouting as she sat on his lap, her hand gently caressing his face. Theo had no idea how the two of them seemed to be getting closer these days, it was something that just seemed … natural and expected. After she and Draco broke up and they four of them kept hanging together. She came near him and he didn't push her away.

Why not Blaise though? Theo wasn't sure. But Pansy and Blaise never seemed to be interested in one another more than friendship.

"You're zoning out again," Pansy complained, her frown visible. When he studied her closely, she did look rather pretty. Her face features were finely modeled, her eyes quite big and round, and her black hair was nice and neat. Right, so Pansy was pretty. But even as she straddled his lap, he didn't really feel anything especially exciting or pleasing. It wasn't uncomfortable, but there was nothing beyond that either. He didn't mind her, but he didn't have anything romantic feelings for her either.

"I said, would you like to go for a walk in the courtyard?" Pansy said impatiently as Theo's attention snapped back quickly.

He wasn't really interested. He was more interested in going to the library and see he could catch Granger's outrageous expression when she found out that the book wouldn't be returned this week.

"No, Pansy, I'm off to the library," he shook his head and left the common room before she could say anything else.

* * *

Pansy was slightly annoyed. Theo's attention seemed to be wavering off her recently and she didn't know why. Of course, she didn't love him, not yet, but she did like his company. She didn't think she could love anyone as much as she had loved Draco back in the fourth year. First love was always something special, wasn't it?

Now she was over Draco, she wanted to find someone else. Blaise and Theo were naturally the top choices. But Blaise didn't seem like someone interested in a serious relationship instead of a string of casual affairs. And for some unknown reason, she felt him more like an elder brother in some way. Although quite a handsome one, but still – an older brother.

So that left Theo. She was glad that he did seemed interested in her, or at least didn't mind some alone time together. But things were getting strange recently. Was he playing some sort of game to attract her attention or simply too studious?

And he didn't even remember to ask her to Hogsmeade. Pansy sighed. Perhaps it was just too much schoolwork and that sort. She would have to hint him, then.

* * *

During the Care of Magical Creature class the next day, Umbridge came to inspect Hagrid.

Draco seemed to be in a fairly good mood, as he never liked Hagrid and especially more so after the hippogriff incident in the third year. "About time the oaf get sacked," he whispered to Blaise, letting out a malicious chuckle.

Blaise wasn't listening, he was busy studying Hagrid's injuries. He nudged Draco and pointed those injuries to him, "look."

"Why do I care if he's injured or not?" Draco rolled his eyes.

"Because I wonder what's dangerous enough to injure a _half-giant_?" Blaise grimaced, "and I certainly don't want that kind of creature in class."

Pansy paled immediately, "Oh, no."

"All the easier to get him sacked then," Draco shrugged indifferently.

"Hello? It's _Hagrid_ we're talking about here," Blaise said impatiently, "she'll find a reason anyway. We didn't need to risk our safety just for that."

"And if someone were to be attacked, don't you think the Slytherins would be the target?" Theo added, "I mean, Hagrid's friendlier with Gryffindors. And let's not forget third year, Draco."

Draco looked uncomfortable after hearing this, but replied, "I'm sure I could find someone to push in front of me."

As the students gathered around, Hagrid spoke up, "We're working in here today! Bit more sheltered. Anyway, they preferred the dark …"

Panic started washing over Draco. He glanced at Greg and Vince who both seemed large enough to shelter than danger from him and said, "What prefers the dark? What did he say prefers the dark? Did you hear?"

Hagrid was apparently unware of that as he went on happily, "Ready? Right, well, I've been saving a trip inter the forest fer yer fifth year. Thought we'd go an' see these creatures in their natural habitat. Now, what we're studyin' today is pretty rare, I reckon I'm probably the only person in Britain who's managed to train 'em—"

"And you're sure they're trained, are you?" Draco couldn't help asking. Blaise was right, whatever that could injure a half-giant was not something he'd want for class. "Only it wouldn't be the first time you'd brought wild stuff to class, would it?"

"Course they're trained," Hagrid scowled at him.

Draco didn't believe what he said in the least bit, "So what happened to your face, then?"

Hagrid grew annoyed, "Mind your own business! Now if yeh've finished asking stupid questions, follow me!"

They walked for ten minutes and reached a spot. Then Hagrid made some calling sounds, but nothing seemed to appear. Yet.

Draco was confused when Theo gasped softly and his face distorted slightly. He didn't understand Theo's reaction when nothing turned up yet.

Blaise's face twitched ever so slightly then instantly fell back to its usual calm. So, the thestrals. This he could handle. He had seen them ever since the first time to Hogwarts, due to the fact that he had witness more than one stepfather's death. He did know that Theo was never fond of creatures like these. He didn't mind them that much himself, as long as they didn't attack him.

Draco's eyes flashed with jealousy as he watched Blaise placed a hand on Theo's back and massaged him gently, trying to ease him.

"Oh and here comes another one!" he heard Hagrid said.

Annoyed, Draco sneered, "Excuse me, but what exactly are we supposed to be seeing?"

Hagrid pointed at the cow carcass on the ground. Draco looked at it sneeringly before turning his gaze at Blaise, who was giving Theo a squeeze in the arm. He was about to whisper some scathing comment at the two before his attention got caught by Parvati Patil's squeak, "What's doing it? What's eating it?" Draco's eyes flown back to the cow carcass and what he saw made him want to vomit.

"Thestrals," said Hagrid happily. "Hogwarts has a whole herd of 'em here. Now, who knows –"

Theo, despite his utter distaste and discomfort of the whole situation, heard Granger's soft gasp "oh" rang through his ear as Hagrid did his explaining. _Really, that mudblood bookworm knows about everything, does she?_ He thought with a sneer.

"But they're really, really unlucky!" interrupted Patil, "They're supposed to bring all sorts of horrible misfortune on people who see them. Professor Trelawney told me once—"

Theo thought he heard Blaise's faint, amused smirk behind him. He knew Blaise found it funny when people were superstitious. Personally, he was impressed that Blaise had managed before to use this to his advantage and spun some ludicrous superstition to get the girls to bed. And had succeeded. (It was Blaise, after all.)

"No, no, no," Hagrid chuckled, "tha's jus' superstition, that is, they aren' unlucky, they're dead clever an' useful! 'Course, this lot don' get a lot o' work, it's mainly jus' pullin' the school carriages unless Dumbledore's taking a long journey an' don' want ter apparate—an here's another couple, look—"

Theo grimaced in distaste. Blaise didn't took his hand off him and he watched out of the corner of his eyes for Draco's reaction. He was rather pleased (not that he would showed it on his face, of course) to catch the blond's jealous expression. He smirked to himself with satisfaction.

Draco was totally pissed off at Blaise and Theo's interaction, and didn't listen to what Hagrid was talking about. However, he felt his mood lightened when Umbridge appeared. He felt immensely better as he watched Umbridge treated Hagrid like someone who didn't understand English.

And he definitely felt back to his usual self when after class, he got the opportunity to tease Gryffindor's keeper, "Yeah, Weasley, we were just wondering, do you reckon if you saw someone snuff it you'd be able to see the Quaffle better?"

At Weasley's expression, Draco felt the day hadn't been that bad after all.

-TBC-


	8. Hogsmeade

"Since when did you get a date for Hogsmeade?" Draco asked, narrowing his eyes at Blaise. He couldn't suppress the feeling of jealousy inside him, however he knew that he had no right to be jealous as he was taking Astoria.

"And why do you care?" Blaise drawled lazily, eyeing him with a smirk.

"I don't," Draco gritted his teeth. _That prat._ "Just curious."

Blaise's smirk widened at Draco's expression. The blond's jealousy was rather obvious in his opinion. Though he normally didn't like dealing with jealousy from others and found that it was rather annoying than endearing, he was actually quite pleased that Draco seemed to mind. "I asked Yelena yesterday before dinner."

"That Russian Ravenclaw?"

Now he came to think of it, girls being jealous annoyed him, boys being jealous irritated the hell out of him (though he did know how to maintain a smooth expression in front of them), but Draco – well, Draco being jealous actually looked adorable.

He contemplated about telling the boy in front of him just that, because Draco absolutely _hated_ to be called cute or adorable or any words of that sort.

He gazed at the pale cheeks that flushed slightly pink. So had the lips that he so wanted to taste. Definitely way too cute. He grinned and waggled his eyebrows suggestively, "you're adorable when you're jealous, Drake, you know that?"

"I'm not adorable and I'm _not_ jealous," Draco snarled, glowering at Blaise. He didn't understand his feelings himself, perhaps it was because he didn't have too much experience? After all, he might be the Slytherin prince, but Blaise was the Slytherin Sex-God. The only person he had been intimate before was Pansy.

"Oh, but you are," Blaise smiled crookedly at him. Merlin, why did he had to look that devilishly handsome with that smile!

Draco was about to said something furious but Blaise but Blaise pushed him back down against the mattress and pressed their lips together, and all Draco's vicious words were forced back down his throat and he moaned.

It really wasn't supposed to be like this. He should always be the one in control. Malfoys were always the one asserting control.

Before Draco noticed, he was kissing back, fiercely. To release his previous anger. Blaise's mouth fell open in a soft gasp after Draco bit onto his bottom lips. Blaise could feel Draco's tongue invading into his mouth, and it felt wonderful. _If we got to do this every time I riled him up, I really wouldn't mind his anger …_

Blaise laced his fingers into Draco's hair, softly grabbing the golden locks. Draco's hands were on Blaise's shoulders, gripping them with force that just might bruise. But neither of them cared at the moment.

Blaise's hands moved down to the buttons of the shirt Draco was wearing, ripping it apart with proficiency. Had it be any other circumstances, Draco would've thought scathingly about the proficiency and sneered, but right now his mind was too occupied. Blaise traced his tongue down Draco's chest to the abdomen, the latter shivering from pleasure.

The door flung open and both of them froze in action, their senses kicking in suddenly.

"Fuck," Blaise cursed as he turned around while shielding Draco strategically and whipped a wand to draw the curtains.

Theo rolled his eyes as he walked in and saw Blaise drawing the curtains quickly. He had seen Blaise brought back many girls and boys back before, and he was only mildly interested in Blaise's love life.

" _Muffliato_ ," Blaise casted the spell before turning back to Draco. They both know now that Draco couldn't go back to his bed until Theo was asleep.

Draco mildly tidied himself and buttoned back his shirt, avoiding Blaise's eyes.

"Look at me," Blaise whispered softly, lifting Draco's chin gently but firmly to face him.

"No," Draco jerked his head away.

"Are you angry, Draco?" Blaise's voice was calm as he shifted slightly to look straight into Draco's eyes.

"No," Draco said bitterly. But he was. Angry with Blaise going to Hogsmeade with someone else, angry at himself for feeling jealous.

Blaise ran a hand through Draco's hair gently. His earlier pleasure of seeing Draco jealous pushed aside and he was a little concerned now. He tried cheering the blond up, "I know you're just agreeing to go with Astoria to piss off our overprotective Pansy. Come on, ditch Astoria and I'll ditch Yelena. We could go together, but you could go on letting Pansy thought you're going with Astoria. We piss off three girls instead of just one, isn't that great?"

 _Well, when he put it like that …_ Despite himself, Draco cracked a smile, "okay."

"Lovely," Blaise smirked, kissing Draco on the forehead, "now, when do you think Theo's going to wake up?"

"I thought the question was supposed to be when he was falling asleep," Draco raised his eyebrows.

"Well, I'm not letting you go back that early," Blaise whispered into Draco's ears, almost purring.

* * *

Subconsciously, Blaise knew he was fast falling in love with his best friend. But consciously, he was refusing to believe that he would actually fall in love with anybody. Friendships? Sure – though mainly only Slytherin. Casual flings? That was what he did best. Falling _in love_? No way in hell.

He wasn't the jealous type so he didn't mind Draco agreeing to Astoria, and from what he observed Draco only did it because Pansy's attitude annoyed him. But when Draco did agree to going with him, something unexpected happened.

He felt _happy_ that Draco had accepted the invitation. And that felt strange. Weren't they just best friends who were going to Hogsmeade together? What's such a big deal? Didn't they both do this to irritate the girls?

He didn't want to analyze his feelings because it seemed a bit complicated right now. While he always loved a challenge, he didn't really think he wanted to find out too much about his real feelings now.

He trained his eyes on Theo and Pansy who was across the common room, his thoughts changing from himself to them. He had a feeling that Theo seemed more distant recently. He knew the two didn't love each other (yet), but did like each other enough to enjoy hanging out together. But these few days he wondered if someone else had captured Theo's attention. Someone apparently untouchable for Theo at the moment, or else he might have made his move.

Probably someone from another house. Theo didn't seem the type to publicly date a non-Slytherin. Just like many in his houses. That made the girl off-limits to him, but didn't stop her from grabbing his attention.

Blaise wondered who she was.

* * *

When Saturday came, they didn't actually manage to do anything romantic or sexual. Instead, they were simply like two friends hanging out. No awkward atmosphere as they left Hogwarts early that day to avoid some people. They chatted easily about Quidditch and homework and the OWLs.

Three Broomsticks was crowded as usual. They drank butterbeer and debated about what Umbridge would do to Hagrid after the class inspection.

"Bet you three galleons that he's the first to get sacked," Draco sneered, whirling the glass of butterbeer eagerly.

"My money's on Trelawney," Blaise smirked, "Umbridge might want to start with the easier ones first. Hagrid looks too dangerous."

"Nah, Trelawney's not a threat to her. She won't pay her any attention." Draco waved his hand dismissively. "And Hagrid's too close to Dumbledore."

"Like Trelawney, Hagrid's too incompetent to be a threat," Blaise mused, "if she's going to get someone close to Dumbledore, she should choose McGonagall. I mean, sacking Hagrid hardly weakens Dumbledore at all."

"Ah, I'd love to see those two women fight," Draco smirked.

"That _would_ be quite a scene," Blaise agreed, laughing. "Hey Drake, look who just walked in."

Draco turned and saw the Golden Trio walking into the Three Broomsticks. His lips curved into a sneer. "Isn't this the Boy-Who-Lied and his two lapdogs?"

Both Weasley's and Potter's faces contorted with rage and Granger frowned and said urgently, "Ignore them, we shouldn't get into a fight here."

"Granger, you surprised me," Blaise drawled, leaning back on his seat and taking a sip of butterbeer casually. "Shouldn't get into a fight _here_? And I thought you were the model student who wouldn't get into a fight anywhere."

Granger narrowed her eyes and Draco smirked, "You can't expect some Mudblood to have manners, Blaise."

"Don't you dare call her that!" Weasley snarled.

"Let's just leave," said Granger rather crossly. "They're not worth it."

"No, Mudblood," Draco sneered viciously, " _you_ 're not worth it."

Draco watched in satisfaction as Granger pulled Potter and Weasley out of the pub and left. Moments later, they heard Granger's voice, arguing with someone that sounded like Theo.

"He still hasn't return the book?" Draco narrowed his eyes suspiciously. They both knew that Theo liked reading too much to sabotage his own library rights.

"That doesn't seemed like Theo," Blaise frowned, "we're missing something here."

"I couldn't hear clearly what they are arguing about," Draco complained.

They both looked up when Theo and Pansy walked in. The two headed towards them, Theo looked expressionless and Pansy looked annoyed.

"Where's Greengrass?" She demanded.

"Daphne? How would I know?" Draco put on a look of innocence while Blaise snorted beside him.

"Not Daphne, you git, Astoria." Pansy snapped. "Isn't she your date?"

"Not that it's any of your business, but I didn't come with her," Draco said coolly.

"Pansy, go buy two butterbeers," Theo interrupted.

"What? I'm talking to Draco now, you go buy the drinks," she said impatiently.

"Talk to him later, then," Theo snapped, "just go get the drinks!"

"Don't order me around!" Pansy said hotly. "If you want the drinks, go get them yourself!"

Blaise watched the scene in amusement. He had the feeling that Theo only asked Pansy to get the drinks because he wanted to talk to Blaise and Draco alone. Well,

If that was the case …

"Theo, I'll go get them with you," he suggested, standing up.

Theo threw Pansy a dirty look and silently went with Blaise to the order the butterbeers.

* * *

"Why did Draco agree to come with Astoria but didn't?" Theo said once Pansy and Draco were out of earshot. "And instead you're with him. Were you two making chances for me and Pansy? Because if you are, I do not appreciate it."

"Why not?" Blaise smirked but didn't answer Theo's question. "I thought you and Pansy get along fine."

"We do, and I wouldn't mind her when we four are together but …" Theo sighed, "I don't like it when she seems to be expecting more from me. Expecting to be closer than friends or something. I like her, but I don't like her that way. I'd rather not lead her on."

"How noble," Blaise shook his head, "so what if you lead girls on? She'll get over it."

Theo scowled, "there'll be more trouble than its worth. I'll need to spend time avoiding her clinging onto me when I could be doing other stuff."

"Find another girl and she'll get the idea," Blaise suggested. That was the most efficient way from his experience.

"Point is, I don't want to spend my time on _girls_ ," Theo snapped, "I'm not interested in, I don't know, going to some romantic coffee shop, buying special gifts every holiday, talking about, well, stuff girls generally liked talking about. I mean, Pansy wanted to discuss what dress she would like to order from the advertisement on Witch Weekly like it's the most important thing in the world! How do I deal with _that_?"

"Ahhh, poor Theo," Blaise smirked while Theo glared at him. They picked up the drinks and walked back to Draco and Pansy.

* * *

"If you cancelled with Astoria, why didn't you tell me?" Pansy folded her arms across her chest.

"Why should I report back to you who I planned to or planned not to go to Hogsmeade with?" Draco retorted.

"I thought we're friends, Draco."

"Doesn't mean I should tell you every single thing! Look, Pansy, you're not my mother."

"You didn't need to speak like that, I'm just being a friend. No need to get all defensive."

"No, you're being nosy."

"Now listen here, Draco Malfoy. If you think I only cared about your love life because I'm jealous or whatever – well, I'm not. We're over long ago. I'm just concerned about you, as a friend. You're being a git, treating me like that."

"I never said you're jealous – I said you should stop poking around my life so much. There's privacy between friends, too."

Draco and Pansy continued bickering on and only stopped when Blaise and Theo put the butterbeers on the table and sat down. They both sensed the atmosphere between Draco and Pansy was less than pleasant. Having heard small parts of the heated argument, they both had a pretty good guess what the fight was about.

They drank the butterbeers in silence, none of them spoke a word. Then when the drinks were nearly finished, Blaise said, "I want to visit Dark Velvet Serpent."

Dark Velvet Serpent was a shop located in a small, discrete alley in Hogsmeade rather than on the main street. It sold many curios related to Dark Arts. Many of them were fascinating to the eyes of young Slytherins. Draco, Blaise, and Theo had found it during their fourth year and quite like the shop.

"But I was hoping to visit Scrivenshaft's Quill Shop!" Pansy pouted. "They have those really pretty new pink quills on sale right now!"

"Feel free to go ahead," Blaise smirked, "if I remember correctly, we didn't come here together."

"Fine," Pansy huffed. "Theo – let's go."

"But I want to visit Dark Velvet Serpent too," Theo quickly said and sent a death glare at Blaise.

"No, _we_ 're going to Scrivenshaft," Pansy narrowed her eyes dangerously.

Blaise snorted and managed to fake it as a cough. Under the table, Theo stamped on Blaise's left foot.

"You can go and I'll meet you later –" Theo said hopefully.

"No way, you're coming with me," Pansy frowned. "Look, people don't go visiting different places on a date, Theo."

Theo sent Blaise a look that said, "This is exactly what I was talking about."

"Well, you two have fun," Blaise smirked, "Come on, Draco, let's go."

If looks could kill, with the penetrating gaze that Theo had now, Blaise and Draco would probably die on the spot.

* * *

"Magic sucking necklace … 4-way transfer locket … burning cabinet … seems like nothing new today," Draco observed.

"That one looks new. Fiendfyre Lighter. Limited to three times usage." Blaise pointed to a lighter.

"15% off if bought with the Firekilling Lighter," Draco read off the tag. "But still really expensive with 15% off."

"I'm getting the Firekilling Lighter," Blaise decided.

"Why not buy both? There's a discount."

"Why would I need some dark-cursed fire? It wasn't really an efficient way to fight, honestly. If I could apparate away, the opponents probably could, too. If I couldn't, well, I'd be trapped too. It's only good for some suicide mission. Considering I'm a coward, I'm not likely to go on any suicide mission soon, thanks."

In the end, they both bought a Firekilling Lighter for themselves.

-TBC-


	9. Christmas with the Dark Lord

A.N:

Yay, some emotions and intimacy between the boys : ) I do love how they've got this side.

R&R please : )

* * *

Draco dreaded the Christmas holidays. He had been avoid thinking about it, pretending it was still a faraway truth that he had to return to Malfoy Manor – with the Dark Lord currently residing there. He didn't tell anyone about it – it wasn't something that should be leaked out.

He tried to keep his usual cool and calm demeanor, but as the anxiety and fear bottled up, he felt his façade slipping away inch by inch and became harder to hold onto.

 _There was a fucking Dark Lord living at my house._

"What's wrong?" Blaise voice cut through his thoughts. The dark-skinned boy was frowning at him slightly, the usual neutral face filled with concern.

"Nothing," Draco bit out. "Go away." He felt that if Blaise spent any second longer here, he might just break down and tell Blaise about it. But he shouldn't.

Blaise eyed his best friend worriedly. The frustration and panic were palpable, and the hostile attitude confirmed his suspicions that something was _very_ wrong. Sighing, he walked over to sit beside Draco on the bed and gently pulled Draco into an embrace. The blond went rigid at the body contact, but Blaise ignored this, holding Draco gently but firmly.

"I said, go away." Draco tried again, his voice strained.

"I won't force you to talk about it now, but I'm not going to leave you all alone when you're in this state," Blaise said calmly. He could feel that Draco's body was very still and refusing to relax.

"I'm still going to be alone during the holidays," Draco said bitterly, unable to stop himself.

Blaise's mind reeled, trying to process the meaning of this sentence. "I'd love to visit you," he offered, brushing Draco's hair softly.

"No – you can't!" Draco snapped, panicking again. He didn't want Blaise to come under the attention of Dark Lord. He knew that his friend had always remained neutral when it came to the issues of the war, he understood how Blaise wouldn't want to get involve with the Dark Lord's plan. It was bad enough that he was in this close proximity with the murder-loving psycho, he didn't need his best friend to get involved with this mess too.

And with both Pansy's and Theo's fathers and Snape as death eaters, Blaise nearly was the only aspect of his life that wasn't on the dark side. He wanted to keep it this way, he didn't want the only safe haven destroyed.

"You don't want me to visit you?" Blaise's voice darkened. He didn't understand why Draco wouldn't want it, the blond seemed okay with their best-friends-with-benefit relationship a while ago. Gazing at Draco's fearful face, he shrewdly guessed that there was something bigger going on.

"No, I don't," Draco said forcefully. If he could keep Blaise away, even it meant some misunderstanding between them, it might be worth it.

He underestimated Blaise. The dark-skinned teen narrowed his eyes, almost closing them, then they flew open again with realization dawning. "He's at your house," Blaise whispered. It didn't sound like a question.

Draco froze on spot and stared at Blaise wordlessly. He wanted to say something, but nothing came out.

The moment Draco didn't dismiss this as a stupid thought confirmed Blaise's worst suspicions. He clenched his teeth, trying to calm himself down. He hated Lucius for being a death eater and dragging his son into all this. "You're not going back," Blaise said sharply. "Fuck, you can't go back!"

Draco rarely saw Blaise lose his cool. Blaise always masked fear with calm, hide anger behind witty sarcasm. But he didn't have time to think about that right now. "I don't have a choice!" He shouted.

Blaise shut his eyes, trying to calm himself down. For Draco. He knew Draco needed him, he knew at least one of them should stay strong or they might both crash. But for once, he couldn't think of any comforting words to say. He was always good with words, but now his brain just hurts like hell and he seemed to be in some nightmare unable to wake up.

Blaise forced his eyes open again. "I'm sorry," he croaked, his throat feeling dry. He didn't know why he was saying that. His mind was whirling, his thoughts were non-coherent. He didn't think this would make anything better, but he felt like he should say something.

"I don't need your pity," Draco said harshly.

 _Even in times like this, his goddamn Malfoy pride just had to kick in?_ Blaise felt his temper rising. "Well, what _do_ you need?" Blaise snapped, but regretted instantly. Draco didn't need to fight with him right now, with all the messy stuff going on.

"Look," Blaise tried again, "I didn't mean – I just – damn, sorry, I – just let me be here with you for now, okay?" He swallowed hard. Hugging Draco tighter, Blaise rummaged through Draco's pale blond hair frantically. "I don't know what to do about this," he admitted after he calmed down slightly, "but I'll think of something."

Draco didn't think there was anything Blaise could do about this, but he felt slightly placated by the words nonetheless. In times like this, any sensible person who was neutral should distance themselves from him. And now, Blaise Zabini, the most sensible person Draco ever known, was staying by his side.

It was almost stupid that Draco would scoff at his soft heart under any other circumstances. Sadly, they lived in an age of extreme circumstances.

Without replying, Draco buried his face into Blaise's chest and sobbed.

* * *

That had been a few days ago. Now Draco was sitting in Lucius study in Malfoy Manor, waiting for his father to present his son to the Dark Lord. He had finally convinced Blaise not to come and visit by promising he would pop over to the Zabini Villa at least twice during the holidays.

As Lucius led Draco to the room the Dark Lord currently resided in, Draco felt his heart clenched in fear. He was about to come face to face with one of the most feared wizards in history.

"Draco," the Dark Lord spoke.

Draco gave a slight bow, just like how his father had instructed him. "My lord."

"You're young, but you do look like one with potential," Voldemort mused thoughtfully. Draco kept his head low in order to show respect but also in order to not look him straight in the eyes.

"Tell me, young Draco, Harry Potter is in your year, is he not?"

Draco spoke as calmly and respectfully as he could, "Yes, my lord."

"I want you to keep an eye on him and report back to your father." Voldemort hissed.

There was really one answer he was expected to reply. "Yes, my lord."

* * *

Draco was trembling, his legs shaky, as he threw floo powder into the fireplace in his bedroom and choked out, "Zabini Villa, Blaise's room."

He stumbled shakily into the fire and nearly fell onto the ground, but managed to grasp a chair just in time. Blaise jumped up from his bed, concern and worry evident in his face. "Draco – are you alright?"

He didn't care if emotions were weaknesses, he didn't care what his father would say if his Malfoy mask wasn't in place, at that moment, he freely admitted, "no."

"Drink this first," Blaise pulled out a small flash and handed it to Draco, "calming draught." He explained.

He thought of protesting that he didn't need it, but if there was one person who he could feel safe showing that he wasn't as strong as he looked, it was Blaise. Draco nodded, drank it, and mumbled thanks to Blaise.

"Do you want to talk, or do you want me to distract you?" Blaise asked softly.

It might seemed like a running away from problems, but … "Distract me," Draco commanded.

The next thing Draco knew, Blaise pinned him down the mattress and kissed him.

Draco threw away all resistance and kissed him back.

* * *

"I've got a Christmas gift for you," Blaise said as they both lay on his bed.

"Care to show me?" Draco raised an eyebrow, turning towards Blaise. He was now feeling a lot better after Blaise's 'distraction'.

"Of course," the dark-skinned teen chuckled. He lazily propped himself up and went to his desk. When he returned to the bed, he was holding a crystal ball with colors that looked like the dark night sky. "Look inside," Blaise whispered softly.

Draco did.

He could see that in the middle of the night color crystal, there was a constellation in the middle. It was breathtakingly beautiful, like looking at the real constellation in the sky. He knew which constellation it was, he had seen it too many times since he was a child.

The constellation of Draco.

"Thanks," he murmured. "It's beautiful."

"Of course," Blaise chuckled fondly. "It's you."

Draco looked up to see his best friend smiling, which was something that could be considered a rare sight. Sneering and smirking happened a lot, but rarely a genuine smile. Though it did suit him. "Well, you're beautiful too."

Blaise raised his eyebrows in slight surprise, then his usual smirk returned. "Of course."

Before Draco could think up some witty comment to return, Blaise kissed him again.

* * *

It was the last day of holiday. Blaise was pacing restlessly in his room, trying to make sense of his own feelings. Trying to convince himself that the past few days happened only because Draco was under a lot of stress and needed company. Trying to convince himself was not falling in love with Draco, because he, Blaise Zabini, would _never_ fall in love.

How far could the boundaries of best friend go? The line was blurry, never really clearly drawn. But he had a sinking feeling that he probably just discovered he felt that Draco was more than a best friend to him now.

Should he pulled himself away before he could sink too deep? He didn't want to, but the rational side of him was in hot debate with his gut feeling. He knew he and Draco could never get married, he knew he should keep things between them as just friends and just sex. If he couldn't, he should definitely stop before anyone got hurt.

Well, fuck rational. Draco was facing a hard enough time with his dysfunctional family and the bloody psycho they served. He really shouldn't abandon his best friend in times like this. Draco needed someone to support him, not his best friend distancing him.

Blaise sighed. Apparently now there was someone who he cared more than he cared for himself. Gone were the good old days he freely played around with girls, not caring about them at all. Love was a messy thing he should've known better to get involved, but here he was. Karma was really a bitch.

He could've sworn the whole universe revolved on irony as its basis.

-TBC-


	10. The Weasley Swamp

The second semester of the fifth year had been a blur. With the OWLs hovering in the midair getting closer and closer every day, the teachers handing them more homework and quizzes, the school dynamic changing into one that the Ministry was more involved and Umbridge got increasing power, life was pretty tiresome.

Then Blaise had won the bet between them after Trelawney's disgraceful display at the courtyard that day, and Draco was surprised Dumbledore found a centaur – a _non-human_ – for Divination. Maybe not that surprising after he thought about it, considering this was the man who hired a werewolf for the DADA post in their third year.

"At least that centaur was good looking," Pansy had commented.

And Draco didn't even know if he should care about the OWLs or not, because if the Dark Lord won, would it really matter what scores you got? Not that he wanted the Dark Lord to win, as he had admitted to Blaise but not to anyone else, but it was a practical possibility he should think about, after all. But his father still expected the best of scores from him, even though Lucius Malfoy was apparently hoping for the Dark Lord to take over. Draco sometimes couldn't understand his dad.

And then there was the stupid assignment of watching over Potter and reporting back. He couldn't really spy on Potter with so much work to do himself, and it wasn't like he could get unnoticed by the Gryffindors if he were to go near them. He supposed he could report back about Potter's DADA organization, but recently he heard it had been discovered and put a stop to anyway, as some Ravenclaw ratted them out to Umbridge. And the foolish woman was apparently stupid enough to believe that Dumbledore was behind it.

He didn't think Dumbledore was behind that, but he was angry that the headmaster loved his star pupil so much that he took the blame for Potter. Always getting favored, that idiot Gryffindor. Draco hated him.

Then, in the midst of the never ending schoolwork, duly informing his father Potter's organization had been caught (but surely the Dark Lord had nothing to fear of a bunch of school children, did he?), running some operation called Inquisitorial Squad that Umbridge came up with (he hated extra work, but on the other hand, he could take points off other houses, which was some compensation for all the tedious work), and fucking Blaise every time they were alone in the dorm (the only thing worth looking forward to these days), came the news of the breakout of Azkaban.

And Potter and that wretched interview. And that stupid Umbridge had to ban the looney newspaper, the Quibbler, and now everyone wanted to read it. Worst thing was, he couldn't go confront Potter without acknowledging he had read it himself.

"Potter's too stupid to have planned this," Theo was as angry as Draco about the piece of interview as his father had also been named a Death Eater, but like Draco who masked anger in front of the whole school but let it all out in front of his friends, Theo kept his anger in check even if he was just with his friends.

"Potter doesn't need to plan anything," Blaise snorted, "favoritism and luck will get you everywhere." Though, if Blaise were to be honest with himself, he didn't think Harry Potter was very lucky this year, with the majority of people not believing him and he was certainly the opposite of being favorited by Umbridge and the Ministry. Still, Blaise knew pointing out Potter's hard life would not bode well with Draco, his best friend just needed someone to blame Potter with him. And Blaise planned to do exactly just that.

"And he's got his minions that'll follow him everywhere and plan for him," Theo let out a sneer, thinking about Granger. _That Mudblood could do so much better than the idiot Boy-Who-Lived,_ he thought viciously. Then he briefly wondered why he cared about a Mudblood's taste and whether that piece of scum could do better. Scowling at himself, Theo tried his best to shove his thoughts about Granger away.

Blaise narrowed his eyes slightly at Theo's comment that tasted somewhat bitter and … jealous? He had heard this tone far too many times from ex-girlfriends that found him snogging another his newest one-night-stand. Seriously? Could Theo possibly be interested in _Hermione Granger_ , of all people?

Blaise remembered Theo saying that he wasn't interested in dating any girl, because he wasn't interested in shopping and all that sort of girl stuff. But Granger, being a bookworm like Theo himself …

He watched as Pansy led Theo away for a walk outside the castle, but he couldn't help but noticed that the boy wasn't very eager. The two seemed to be in a strange relationship these days, not quite dating but not quite _not_ dating either.

Blaise's mouth twitched as his eyes landed back on Draco and the Daily Prophet, "So … your aunt Bella."

Draco grimaced. He had been thinking about Bellatrix, too. He had never met his aunt, for she had been sent to Azkaban for most of his life, but he had heard about her. His mother feared Bella, though she never said it explicitly, Draco could feel it. His father seemed thought Bellatrix was rather stupid to have landed herself in Azkaban, something Lucius prided himself of getting out of.

"I'm not looking forward to meeting her," Draco muttered.

"Compared to the Dark Lord?" Blaise raised an eyebrow, sounding slightly amused. Draco scowled and raised a hand to punch him, but Blaise caught it swiftly in the mid-air and pulled Draco onto his lap. "Hey, stop thinking about them. You're stressed. Try thinking about more cheery stuff."

Draco huffed and tried to wriggle out of Blaise without much success, "such as?"

Blaise shrugged nonchalantly as he suggested, "How about me?"

"I fail to see how you and 'cheery' can be linked together in anyway, Blaise," Draco rolled his eyes.

"Fair point. Oh, and stop pretending to struggle, I knew you enjoy to be in this position."

"I do not!" Came the indignant reply to which Blaise blithely ignored.

* * *

 _Walking through the school corridors these days was definitely more unpleasant than previously,_ Theo thought with a sigh. Other houses had never been friendly towards Slytherin before, but now things were worse, especially for those who had family members named as Death Eaters by Potter at that little interview of his.

Theo often stayed low-profile and when most of the other houses thought of fifth year Slytherin they mostly just thought of Draco. He didn't get recognized often and most people just ignored him, which suited him well. But now people started realizing as Death Eater's son and he could hear others whispering behind him as he walked through school. He could see McGonagall's eyed him with slight distaste during Transfigurations and Pince looked at him with considerably less enthusiasm than she did when he loaned books from the library.

He supposed he would have to get used to this.

To be honest, Theo didn't really mind most mudbloods, as he never really gave them much thought. He just particular disliked Granger because he came second best to her in a lot of classes. Her bossy, know-it-all, show-off attitude irked him. When she raised her hand immediately whenever a teacher asked a question, he sneered silently. No, Theo didn't care about most mudbloods, as long as they didn't get higher grades than him. So it was really just Granger getting on his nerves.

However, he wouldn't deny his interest in the Dark Arts. That was always what the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters intrigued about him, not blood supremacy. That wasn't to say he hold a very compassionate attitude towards non-purebloods though, but then again he wasn't very compassionate about anybody except for his family and friends. He didn't really care that about others or if them being the experiments under Dark Lord testing a new dark spell.

He didn't have a particular problem towards mudbloods (as for the M word, it's just semantics and he went along with how other people called them), he just had a problem with incompetent idiots. He liked competent people, so long as they weren't too competent to best him in every subject.

When Theo reached the library, he accidentally came across a Gryffindor who was just walking out. A Gryffindor mudblood who just happened to be the only mudblood that irritated the hell out of him. Granger.

"Bitch," he muttered darkly. Yes, he could control anger in the public, he could stay calm around his friends, but he just felt the need to lash out at Granger when he met her.

And Granger just gave him a look of condescension mixed with disgust.

"Think you're so clever for orchestrating the little interview, didn't you?" Theo said, his voice low and dangerous.

Granger raised her eyebrows in surprised as if wondering how he knew she was behind the arrangement, but Theo merely sneered and turned away, walking into the library.

* * *

Blaise grinded his long legs against Draco's and the blond let out a moan. Twisting himself slightly as he moved his body on top of the other's, Blaise took a deep breath pressed his lips onto Draco's necks and bit it. He heard a response of groaning that sounded both a little painful and pleased. Draco put both of his hands onto Blaise's back and grabbed it none too gently, pale white fingers against chocolate dark skin.

Draco started to pant slightly as Blaise pushed the head of his cock into Draco's entrance, feeling the pressure of being stretched. His eyes widened as the sensation grew stronger and then they suddenly closed as he felt Blaise reached the end.

Blaise was sweating and moaning as he slowly rotated his hips and watched Draco shivered with pleasure. He gave another thrust and Draco responded by crushing their lips together and clenched his back even more tightly.

Their kiss was needy and desperate, and they soon found themselves both gasping for fresh air as they reluctantly broke away. Though the air was more sweaty than it was fresh right now.

Blaise slowly pulled out of Draco and feeling another shiver down the spine of the blond. He managed a toothy grin, "bath?"

"Carry me into the bathroom," the blond replied, blinking his eyes to regain his senses.

"Will do, my Slytherin prince," Blaise chuckled fondly.

* * *

"Umbridge is calling for the Inquisitorial Squad," Pansy said as she came into the common room one day. "Something about the Weasley Twins, I think."

Draco was lying comfortably on a couch in the Slytherin common room and his legs were rested on Blaise's lap. Propping himself up with his elbows, he asked tiredly, "Do we have to go? I still need to finish this potions reading."

"Yes," Pansy said simply. "Because she's in a frantic state and said she's expecting all of us."

"You're not making it sound appealing," Draco muttered. He glanced at Blaise, but the other boy just shook his head.

"I'm not part of the squad," he said reasonably and pulled Draco up, "come on, go along with Pansy, maybe here's a chance to take some points off Potter." Blaise gave Draco a quick peck on the cheek.

Huffing, Draco left the common room with Pansy and other members of the Inquisitorial Squad, wondering what had happened this time that Umbridge required all of the squad.

It turned out, a swamp was what had happened. If Draco didn't hate the Weasleys so much, he would actually be impressed of their work. As they arrived at the fifth floor, they all widened their eyes at the swamp that now filled the whole East Wing.

However impressed by the swamp they created Draco was, he was definitely not impressed with the twins who had stayed near the swamp-filled corridor and let themselves be cornered. But he supposed Gryffindors were just too stupid.

"We got them, Professor!" Warrington yelled triumphantly.

Umbridge nodded approvingly at them at a gleeful smile sprung up her toad-like face, "Excellent, my squad!" She cooed. Draco nearly rolled his eyes at her disgusting voice. However, he controlled himself and gave a slight bow towards their headmistress.

Umbridge turned to the Weasley twins who didn't look a least bit afraid of her. "So! So … you think it amusing to turn a school corridor into a swamp, do you?"

To be honest, Draco found it pretty amusing if not for the fact he had to be dragged out when he was reading the potions textbook. Well, he was glad that considering some Weasleys were about to get very serious consequences, it was not just amusing but satisfying.

"Pretty amusing, yeah," one of the twins replied easily, without a sign of fear.

Filch elbowed his way towards Umbridge, almost crying with happiness. "I've got the form, Headmistress," he said hoarsely, waving some piece of parchment. "I've got the form and I've got the whips waiting … Oh, let me do it now."

Whip? Interesting … Draco's lips twitched in amusement but then he felt a little unsatisfied that only the twins were going to get the whip but not their younger brother. A disappointment, but he guessed that was just life.

He wondered if Umbridge would let the Inquisitorial Squad witness the whipping.

"Very good, Argus. You two," Umbridge gazed down at the twins, "are about to learn what happens to wrongdoers in my school."

"You know what?" said one of the twin. "I don't think we are. George, I think we've outgrown full-time education."

"Yeah, I've been feeling that way myself," the other twin, apparently George, replied lightly.

"Time to test out talents in the real world, d'you reckon?"

"Definitely."

"Accio brooms!"

Everyone gasped and looked dumbfounded for a moment. Everyone except the twins, who caught the brooms easily.

"We won't be seeing you," Fred told Umbridge, swinging his leg over the broomstick.

"Yeah, don't bother to keep in touch," said George, mounting his own.

"If anyone fancies buying a Portable Swamp, as demonstrated upstairs, come to number ninety-three, Diagon Alley – Weasley Wizarding Wheezes, our new Premise!"

"Special discounts to Hogwarts students who swear they're going to use our products to get rid of this old bat!"

"STOP THEM!" Umbridge shrieked, and Draco reacted first. Years of seeker training had made him agile. The others followed suit and closed in on the twins, but it was too late as they kicked the floor and rose above the air.

Draco remembered hearing one of them told Peeves, "Give her hell from us."

The crowd cheered, the squad chased, the headmistress seethed, and the twins sped out into the open front doors into the glorious sunset.

* * *

"I don't like the Weasleys, but I have to say this sounds pretty funny," Theo chuckled, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Well, in some way, it was. But a pissed off Umbridge isn't," said Pansy haughtily. "And the squad got more work." She scowled and beside her, Draco groaned.

"Luckily I'm not part of the squad then," Theo smirked.

"Those Gryffindors were pretty foolish, though," Millicent said, "staying near the corridor and getting caught quickly. If they hid away, they wouldn't need to end up leaving school."

"We all know Gryffindors are dumb," Greg said.

"They'd probably figured out it'd be traced back to them anyway," Theo said reasonably.

"In some sense, they _are_ smart enough to create swamp," Draco admitted grudgingly.

Blaise frowned as he tilted his head. "Do you see anyone missing on the scene?" He asked suddenly.

"Yeah, you and Theo," Pansy said automatically, "why don't you two join the squad—"

"I don't think that's what he meant," Theo rolled his eyes.

"So many people were there, how are we supposed to notice who wasn't?" Millicent asked.

"They could've left in a less dramatic way," Blaise ignored all of them and looked up at the ceiling, thinking hard.

"Gryffindors like to be dramatic," Draco offered.

"Yes, yes, but I think this – this is some sort of diversion," Blaise said slowly. "Lots of students and professors all gathered there, and Umbridge and the Inquisitorial Squad, too. It's almost if something must be going on elsewhere."

"Paranoid as usual?" Pansy teased.

"Just because I'm paranoid doesn't mean this isn't true," Blaise shot back.

Draco closed his eyes. Blaise's reasoning and logic were pretty sound, he had to admit. But it was just so much harder to notice someone wasn't there than to notice that someone was. He sighed.

But then his eyes flicked open again and he leant towards Blaise and said quietly, "Potter wasn't there."

-TBC-

* * *

 _A.N.: A bit of Blaise/Draco and a bit of Theo/Hermione XD R &R please : )_


	11. OWLs and Blaise's jealousy

"So … Potter isn't there," Draco frowned as he sat down on his bed when he and Blaise were alone in the dorm, "what does this mean?"

"That you pay him enough attention to realize that he's gone?" Blaise asked, sounding slightly bitter. He didn't know what exactly was he feeling right now. He was supposed to be focusing on solving the strange thing and figuring out what happened in a professional style, the way he usually prided himself in doing. But when Draco said that he realized Potter hadn't been there, Blaise was suddenly attacked by bitter jealousy of Draco's attention on Potter.

His tone caused Draco to turn his head sharply and stared at him incredulously, " _what?_ "

"You do pay Potter quite a lot of attention, don't you?" Blaise continued, in an eerily calm voice that kept leaking out bitter jealousy everywhere. He wasn't supposed to act like this, he knew, he really should be better at concealing his negative feelings. But he just suddenly couldn't control it, and he wasn't even sure why this suddenly became an issue for him.

Draco continued to stare at Blaise, "are you _jealous_ that I noticed Potter?"

Blaise schooled his face back to a calm and almost blank expression, and when he spoke again, he was back to his usual self, all emotions hidden perfectly behind his mask, "No. So, you think Potter is up to something?"

Draco narrowed his eyes and scanned Blaise's face, but was only met with a Blaise Zabini in his usual analytic mode. The angry teenage boy whose tone screamed jealousy disappeared like it had never been there. Had Draco been a less confident person in himself, he would have wondered whether he had just imagined it. But Draco _knew_ that Blaise definitely was filled with bitterness just moments before.

"Don't change the subject," Draco said coolly, his eyes still on his best friend.

"This _is_ the subject," Blaise countered smoothly, not afraid of meeting Draco's eyes. "It's what we were originally discussing." He leaned back against his pillow on the bed causally, his customary smirk climbing onto his cheeks once again.

"Let's talk about your jealousy then," Draco moved himself from his own bed to Blaise's bed, deciding to take a rather direct approach to the topic.

"You want to talk about something nonexistent?" Blaise drawled, his tone lazy and unconcerned. He had regained control of his emotions now and had no intention of slipping up again. He silently berated himself for letting emotions take over him so easily, and told himself this was just a trivial thing he didn't need to be jealous. Besides, he and Draco were just friends, it wasn't like he need to be jealous of a _friend_ noticing another boy's actions. He and Draco were friends, maybe also friends with benefits, but still just friends and not lovers. He had no need to be jealous. No right to be.

"Spare me the lies?" Draco lay down on Blaise's bed and clasped his hands together under his head. "You're really good at lying, I'll give you that. I would've believed you if you hadn't sounded … so bitterly jealous just minutes ago."

"What can I say?" Blaise shrugged nonchalantly. "I was good with acting and my little performance minutes ago must've been pretty convincing."

"No," Draco retorted, not letting this go. He wasn't sure why. Perhaps it was just too rare to catch Blaise Zabini in such a state where he lost control that he wanted to savor it. Perhaps he wanted to get Blaise to admit that he was jealous, it gave him some sort of strange satisfaction that he couldn't quite explain. It wasn't as if they were a couple. But knowing Blaise was jealous made him feel special. Though there was still a part of him that disapproved because Blaise didn't have any right over him and shouldn't be allowed to be possessive. "You are convincing _now._ Though, I must admit I wasn't really convinced. But you weren't acting a few minutes ago."

Blaise also lay down beside Draco, closing his eyes as he asked quietly, "why are you pushing this? Maybe you won't like the answer." He knew Draco and he had agreed to stay just as friends, and Blaise felt that Draco wouldn't appreciate him getting jealous and possessive. After all, he had no right and Draco was free to do anything he wanted and noticed anybody he happened to notice. He wasn't sure why he had those feelings anyway, it wasn't as if he wanted to go into a serious relationship. Blaise didn't believe in serious relationships, not after seeing his mother's many marriages.

Draco pondered how to play this to get Blaise to admit it. "Because I don't appreciate you lying to me? It hurts my feelings."

Blaise's mouth twitched in amusement despite himself, "spare me the theatrics. You're a good actor too and, seriously, the 'feelings' card? Well played, if I may say."

"You're straying off the topic again," Draco accused.

"And you're annoyingly stubborn," Blaise muttered as he propped himself up with one arm and looked at his fellow Slytherin.

"I'll take that as a compliment," Draco smirked back, not denying his stubbornness.

Blaise huffed slightly and threw his pillow at Draco, "prat", which the blond caught easily (thanks to the seeker reflexes). Then he relented somewhat, "Yeah, maybe I was jealous a little, okay? Who doesn't have some teenage hormones, right? It's only temporary and I would make sure it doesn't happen again. Satisfied now?"

"Maybe I wouldn't mind that much if it happen again," Draco drawled, smirking a little.

"Yeah, right, because then you can brag that you're the one that had the ability to make me, the Slytherin Sex God, jealous." Blaise snorted. "I'm not stupid, Drake."

"I can't exactly go bragging about it," Draco retorted, though it was true that he would feel rather smug about it, "you're forgetting my parents' views."

Blaise stilled for a moment after Draco mentioned his parents. They both knew Draco's parents wouldn't approve of their … special kind of friendship. After a quiet moment, Blaise said softly, "I'm sorry about that."

Draco waved dismissively, "No matter. They're … I've gotten used to it."

Blaise paused for a moment then said, "right, so you can't go bragging, just might feel particularly smug or something."

It was, Draco thought, quite true. However, he replied, "Maybe. So what if I gained a little satisfaction? After all, I don't get a lot of people who care, let alone care enough to be jealous." He tried to say it lightly, but somehow it felt heavy and a little resentful.

Blaise jerked his head towards Draco and widened his eyes slightly. He was sharp enough to hear the slight resentment in his best friend's voice. He suddenly thought of how Lucius and Narcissa never really cared about Draco personally but rather about a perfect Malfoy heir doing all the pureblood duties. And Slytherins didn't get many understanding from people outside the house. Even within the house, a lot of time it was rivalry and politics rather than true friendships.

"I care," Blaise began, his tone careful, "I'm your best friend. And so do Theo and Pansy."

"Maybe," Draco agreed, still sounding unhappy, "but I don't think they care as much as you do."

"Well," Blaise shrugged easily and teased. "I'm the best of the best?"

This lightened the mood and Draco chuckled. On impulse, Draco propped himself up, leant towards Blaise, and pressed a chaste kiss on the other boy's lips. "The very best," he murmured.

Blaise was slightly taken aback by Draco's impulse and his sudden change of attitude, but was nevertheless quite glad. His mouth curved upwards slightly. "Yeah, I'm aware of that," he said, a little cockily.

Draco rolled his eyes but chuckled.

* * *

OWLs were fast approaching, and neither Draco nor Blaise brought up the subject of jealousy again and focused more and more on the upcoming exams. People were getting edgier day by day, and the Professors weren't making things easier for them. They were constantly reminding the students that the OWLs were approaching whenever someone slacked off a bit. This, in turn, made the students even edgier and more rebellious in all sorts of small, trivial matters. The Weasley Twins' Skiving Snackboxes were more popular than ever even if they had left Hogwarts and people had to use mail-orders to get the products.

Pansy got tired of the intense atmosphere and constantly resumed reading her fashion magazine when she was supposed to do her homework. Daphne looked her usual self, until the mealtimes it wasn't hard to notice she was eating considerably less than usual. Theo got highly irritated, almost borderline unapproachable whenever Hermione Granger outscored him on a quiz or homework. Tracey had quite a lot of nervous breakdowns. Vincent and Millicent, contrary to Daphne, ate a lot more than usual. Greg woke up early in the morning with black shadows that grew under his eyes every day.

Draco ranted about how stupid Harry Potter was more than usual, which in turn annoyed Blaise (who wasn't originally unnerved by the approaching of the exams because he's always the calm, cool one) so much that the Italian disappeared quite frequently these days, claiming that he needed some "alone time".

Their Head of House, Professor Snape, thankfully wasn't much different from usual. But that was probably just due to the fact that he was normally irritated and snarky and harsh so everyone already got used to it.

* * *

Then the OWLs eventually came. In some way, it was a relief, because once they were done than it would finally be over. They would finally be able to relax after that, and relaxation was what the students longed for.

The Slytherins had a run in with Harry Potter and his merry band after the Herbology exam, and Draco made some snide remarks about how pathetic Potter looked. The Golden Boy, who was currently suffering from all those nightmares he had, were indeed extremely ill-looking.

While Blaise admitted that it wasn't hard to notice how unhealthy Potter looked, he was getting more and more irritated and how Draco felt the constantly need to comment about Potter's hideous appearance in detail. Right, he knew Draco wasn't in any way praising Potter, but the fact that the blond looked at the Gryffindor detailedly enough irked Blaise anyway. He didn't understand why it irked him himself.

It was then when Blaise pulled Draco vehemently away once the Gryffindors had left and the two best friends ended up in a nearby broom closet. Blaise thought that he wasn't justified to be jealous or angry, so he opted not to explain his feelings but instead he shoved his tongue down Draco's throat, not caring to make sense of himself to Draco for the moment. Right now, he just wanted to satisfy his need of knowing that he was the only one that could pull Draco into a broom closet and snog him senseless.

Draco didn't mind. The OWLs were depressing enough to handle and he definitely welcomed Blaise's advances. They were really physically compatible anyway. So he kissed back fiercely, gripping the other boy's shoulders so hard that they might bruise.

Besides, Draco had found that his little project of making Blaise jealous seemed to work whenever he focused his attentions on some other boy. He still wasn't sure why he wanted to continually make Blaise jealous, other than the fact that this way, maybe he could convinced himself that Blaise cared about him. That _someone_ finally did care. He didn't anticipated the extra snogging session, but he welcomed it anyway.

Then, somehow in the middle of the fierce snogging, he came to realize how much just he enjoyed the fact that Blaise was jealous, that Blaise actually cared about him so much, and how physically compatible they were. And in some snap decision to ignore about his parents views on getting a perfect pureblood heir, he suddenly wished he and Blaise were something more than friends.

Slowly breaking the kiss after a few minutes, Draco knew he should really talk to Blaise about it. He could feel that his best friend cared about him more than a friend, but just too afraid to enter a serious relationship because of his mother's endless quick-ending marriages. Maybe it was time to get him to admit to his jealousy, sense his possessiveness, and see where they could go from there.

Calmly, Draco looked Blaise in the eyes. "Don't like me commenting on Potter, Blaise?"

"Oh, fuck you, Drake," the Italian grumbled, unhappy that Draco brought the subject up again.

"We could do that later," Draco said firmly, "but right now, I believe we should talk."

-TBC-

* * *

 _A.N.: Another chapter, hope you like it, R &R please : )_


	12. And They Finally Talked About It

"Do we have to do heart-to-heart talks?" Blaise asked, sounding somewhat disbelieving. "Seriously? I thought you hate heart-to-heart talks."

"Only when we're talking about my problems," Draco smirked slightly, "I'm perfectly okay when we're talking about yours."

"Which reminds me, you still owe me something from our last heart-to-heart chat," Blaise murmured, tracing Draco's chest with his long finger.

"I distinctly remember telling you not to expect me to uphold that end of the bargain or you're an idiot," Draco replied, playing with Blaise's black curls. Before Blaise could protest, he continued, "But, hey, I did tell you just before Christmas."

"So I was right in assuming you'd eventually talk to me about it," Blaise smirked.

"Fine, you were," Draco said conceded, "but don't try to sidetrack me now!" He gave Blaise a gentle shove, at which the Italian grimaced ever so slightly.

"Draco …" Blaise sighed, rubbing his forehead with his left hand as his eyes focused stubbornly on the ground, avoiding the other boy's intent gaze.

"You're just … running away from facing this," Draco said forcefully, reaching out a hand to lift Blaise's chin towards him, the darker boy giving in and finally meeting his eyes. In fact, Draco was a little nervous behind his forceful demeanor. He knew he was taking a big gamble in assuming that Blaise actually cared about him more than a friend would, and if the Italian boy kept dodging away, Draco might have to eventually conclude that he was over-imagining and over-interpreting things. He hoped it wouldn't come to that. He was quite sure that he was right, but when dealing with Blaise, anything might happen.

"And you're forcing me to?" There was only some very slight accusation in Blaise's tone, but Draco heard it anyway. So, not denying about the running away part. Draco considering this some sort of confirmation.

"You were the one that forced me to … realize we can have a … physical relationship," he shot back challengingly. "And now you're complaining that I'm forcing you to face that … there's the possibility that it's something more? It's –"

"— _not_ hypocritical. Because you know physical things are always easier, it's _different_." Blaise cut across him coolly, his eyes now hardened and emotionless. Which, they both knew, indicated that he was trying to mask away some emotions, or else he would just likely be sarcastic or witty or teasing.

But despite Draco knew that, he still couldn't help worrying that maybe he really misunderstood everything and he was the only one with some more-than-friends affection here. He wondered if he should stop before pushing this to a point where his worst suspicions were confirmed. Maybe he should back down before being the humiliation came. That's what cautious, sensible Slytherins did.

Draco was still wondering whether he should give up forcing Blaise to confront the nature of their relationship when Blaise noticed how tense Draco had become and the concern for the blond suddenly outweighed the concern for himself.

Blaise was trying to ignore his own feelings, leading him to distract himself from his own emotions by observing Draco. Something which suddenly wasn't exactly easy because the blond was in fact the cause of his emotions now, but still he managed. When he did, it wasn't hard to sense Draco's worrying and tensing and self-doubts and the need for someone – Blaise suspected that someone just might be himself – to care about him.

 _Since when had it came to this_ , Blaise wondered. But, if he were to be completely honest with himself, it was probably since a long time ago. He and Draco had just been both convincing themselves that they were friends – maybe friends with benefits – and not more. For their own reasons. His mistrust of the idea of being a couple, his mistrust of love (thanks to his mother), and Draco's wanting to live up to his family's expectations and marrying according to the pureblood traditions (thanks to Lucius).

He could see that there were actually affection and love and caring all the time, hidden beneath the sex. Now that Draco had chosen to at least consider a different path from what his father planned for him, was it maybe time that Blaise stop lying to himself about how he felt, too? Blaise wasn't sure.

But he did accurately guessed that his refusing to confront this matter would leave Draco to believe that Blaise really didn't want him. And maybe even that Blaise didn't care for him. He didn't want to hurt Draco, but he might just be on the road to that if he kept insisting on protecting himself from his fear of love with lies.

But was it really safe to face the truth? Would something go wrong? Would he got hurt eventually? He didn't know. But seeing Draco's self-doubt and worrying, Blaise knew he needed to do something or risked Draco –

Blaise took a deep breath and looked his best friend in the eyes while trying not to feel awkward, "I'm not good with this," he said as he bit onto his lips nervously, "this, um, relationship stuff." He could hear Draco trying to smother a faint snort. "No, I mean it. Okay, I'm good with casual flings and one-night-stands, but I'm not – I've never – I've never been in a, well, serious relationship. Like, a real couple."

Draco thought that would find the sight of Blaise Zabini stuttering funny any other day. Too bad that today wasn't any other day.

Blaise ran a hand through his own hair in slight frustration and continued, "I don't think I'm capable of, um, falling in love, like, for real? Not after seeing Mother–"

"You're not your mother," Draco interrupted. "I know you're not."

There was a moment of silence before Blaise said, "How could you know? How could you be sure?"

"Because I know you, idiot," Draco looked Blaise straight in the eyes unflinchingly. "The real you under the playboy cover and the sharp eyes and talented observations – the real you that actually have feelings and complicated issues despite you hide it so perfectly sometimes."

"Draco—"

The blond shushed him with a gesture while continuing, "Because I'm like that too and I can recognize it. Granted that our issues aren't exactly the same but I have my own fair share of traumatic childhood that led me to who I am now and I think I can recognize another case like me when I see it–"

"Drake—"

"And I'm good at hiding behind the goddamn mask of mine in front of almost everyone else but you still so fucking easily figure _me_ out—"

"—I am kind of genius, I know—" Blaise quirked a small smile despite his frustration at the whole situation.

"So it's probably only fair that I could see through you behind _your_ mask too."

"Well, life's not really known to be fair anyway—"

"And stop fucking sidetracking me, Blaise." Draco snapped. "And even if I'm still facing a lot of pressure from my parents but I guess I could, well, try to deal with my issues and see what we can be – but, only if you're equally willing to try to deal with _your_ issues too."

He paused for a moment and the two boys looked at each other, the tense silence nearly consuming them both before – "Did I just acted like a rash Gryffindor and pour my heart out?" Draco muttered.

Blaise blinked for a moment before snorting, "No Gryffindor would ever be able to analyze me, Drake."

Draco laughed, sounding relieved and amused at the same time, "good point."

"And analyze so correctly, too," Blaise continued in a lower tone as he briefly closed his eyes and opened them again. "Let's try then. To take this further and … deal with our issues, as you've so aptly put?"

Draco drew a deep breath, "Okay. So … we're ... we're now …"

A voice rang outside the broom closet. "If you two don't get out of that goddamn closet right now we're going to be late for the Runes exam," Pansy yelled.

The two boys glanced at each other, then Blaise, ignoring the fact that Pansy had just spoken, and offered, "Boyfriends?"

"Yeah. That." Draco swallowed and smiled nervously. "Boyfriends."

A tentative but sincere smile started to slowly spread across Blaise face, and he leant towards Draco to plant a kiss on the blond before saying, "We should probably get out of here before Pansy breaks in."

"Good idea." Draco was prepare to push open the broom closet before turning back, "I thought you said you want to fuck me earlier."

Blaise laughed, "After Runes?"

"Don't forget it," Draco playfully smacked Blaise's arse before finally pushing open the closet.

Theo and Pansy were already waiting for them impatiently, their bags on their shoulder and ready to leave. Theo stole a quick glance at his watch while Pansy said, "we've been waiting for ages for you two idiots to come out of the closet."

Draco and Blaise shared a look at Pansy's unintended – or maybe not that unintended, considering Pansy – pun. "Come on, let's go." Blaise finally said. And the four of them headed towards the Runes exam.

* * *

After the Runes exam, Draco turned to Blaise, "before or after dinner?"

"I was considering making you my dinner," the Italian responded with a devilish smirk.

"That sounds good," Draco smirked back, "if you'll be mine too?"

"Deal," Blaise said briskly. Then, remember Draco's fondness of apples, "I recall that the room of requirement can't produce food, what do you think about getting some apple jam from the kitchen and—"

Draco's mind was already whirling with images about licking apple jam off Blaise and he cut the other boy off, "Let's go to the kitchen. Now."

* * *

Theo wasn't really focusing on Pansy as she was telling him how she was sure that when Draco and Blaise disappeared mysteriously at dinner they surely hadn't gone off to study for tomorrow's exams. His simply hummed in response and ignored her, his eyes on the Gryffindor table where Hermione Granger sat.

He could see the three sat closely as Granger seemed to be speaking quickly and vigorously. He assumed it was about the exams, considering that she was, well, Hermione Granger.

He could sense that apparently Potter and Weasley had no desire to relive the exams again even though Granger was so anxious to discuss the subject. _She was rather idiotic, really, if she thought those two would want to chat about that,_ Theo thought viciously. _I'd be a better person if anyone wanted to discuss exams – not that I would want to chat with the Mudblood,_ he told himself.

 _Okay, perhaps her idiotic actions are rather justified, considering people other than Weasley and Potter wouldn't want to chat with her and she was stuck with them._ Theo felt rather pitiful of her. _Poor Mudblood with no friends that match her intelligence, really. She shouldn't've been this smart. She should be stupider and interested in girly stuff instead of schoolwork. It'd do her good. It'd get her some girl friends who she could gossip with rather than stuck with Weasley and Potter who just used her for her brains._

Theo pitied Hermione Granger. He supposed it was okay with his father if he wanted to pity a Mudblood. After all, wasn't it natural that people of higher levels felt sympathy towards those at the lower levels?

As he watched Granger stood up and headed in the direction of the library, Theo quickly downed the rest of his spaghetti and grabbed his bag, "I'm off to the library," leaving a rather bewildered Pansy Parkinson behind him.

* * *

Draco admired how wonderful Blaise looked, lying naked on the big, luxurious, comfortable green bed that the room of requirement conjured for them. The dark-skinned Slytherin propped himself up with his left arm and looked at the blond with a seductive smirk spread across his handsome face. Draco almost shuddered with pleasure as he stole a glance at Blaise's cock and thighs that he had just finished smearing with apple jam. Lots and lots and lots of apple jam. Draco couldn't wait to taste it.

Blaise wiggled his eyebrows and whispered seductively to Draco, "Like what you see?"

"Yes," Draco smirked evilly, "I mean, you know that I like jam."

The Italian raised an eyebrow at the blond, and drawled in an aristocratic tone, "Really? Are you sure your answer hasn't left out anything?"

"Did I? Can't recall that I left out anything," Draco looked at Blaise with innocent wide eyes. The kind of innocence that only someone not-so-innocent could master.

"Think again?" Blaise growled in response as he added playfully, "or you're not getting any of the jam."

"Hmm…." Draco pretended to be thinking hard, then his grey eyes lightened up, "oh, yeah, I almost forgot. And the things that the jam covered up, of course."

Blaise's grin widened as he winked at Draco and suggested, "You should probably uncover it, then?"

So Draco did. He discovered that while the jam tasted delicious, what was covered by it was definitely even more amazing.

-TBC-

* * *

 _A.N.: Yay! So I've FINALLY gotten these two together! Took me nearly 30k words and about 3 months, but it's worth the effort because I love them and ship them so much haha. R &R please : )_


	13. Summertime

_A.N.: Thanks for all the people who reviewed or favorited or followed! This new chapter is a bit angsty though, R &R please : )_

* * *

Of course, being officially together wasn't 'now they lived happily ever after'. Getting together – for real – was just the beginning. As Draco had pointed out earlier, they both had their issues. Their parents had more influences on them than they wanted. Draco knew his father would be furious and his mother upset once they knew of this, and he couldn't pretend it didn't bother him. Blaise, on the other hand, was still dubious of himself to maintain a long-term relationship, still wondered if he was able to be really in love because of his mother's history. And then there was the Voldemort element that added to the whole mix.

They both tried to hide their worries from each other and tried to cope with their issues alone. They distracted themselves by having energy-consuming sex, and it did work, to some extent. But the worries always came back.

It was the day before the school ended when they lay on Blaise's bed together, gazing up at the ceiling. None of them said anything for quite some time, each immersed in his own thought, but the silence was comfortable rather than tense. They'd grown used to each other and didn't mind the silent times. So they got lost in their respective train of thoughts and worries and parental issues.

Until Blaise broke the silence.

"I know you like to brood alone – but if you need to talk, remember I'm here, okay?" Blaise sat up a little and turned to look Draco straight in the eyes.

The blond raised an eyebrow. After getting closer to Blaise this year, he was now far better at dealing with this than he originally had been. Quirking a smirk, Draco drawled, "The same goes for you too – you do know that, right?"

Blaise let out laugh at that, knowing Draco wasn't the only one in their relationship that liked to brood alone. "Right, of course," he acknowledged, leaning towards Draco and pressing a chaste kiss onto Draco's forehead.

"Father's in Azkaban now," after some time of enjoying Blaise's kiss, Draco said abruptly.

Blaise reached out a hand to hold Draco's gently and gave it a squeeze, "I'm sorry about that."

"It's all Potter's fault," Draco muttered angrily, burying his head in Blaise's chest. Blaise stroked Draco's blond hair gently, but didn't say anything. He agreed that Potter might've been the push for this to happen, but that didn't mean Lucius didn't land himself in this situation by being a Death Eater and following Voldemort's order … then something struck him suddenly. Lucius was in Azkaban because he had been captured at the Ministry, which was something Voldemort might likely consider as a failure. Voldemort lived in the Malfoy Manor now and Draco would return there for the summer … Would he punish Draco for Lucius's failure?

"I think, you should come to live with me in the summer," Blaise said, "it seems a bit late to bring this up but—"

"I can't," Draco cut across him, "Mother has written a letter and insisted that I go back for the summer."

"Surely she'll understand—"

"You don't understand, Blaise," Draco said sharply, "she _insisted._ "

Blaise opened his mouth to say something, then closed it abruptly, suddenly realizing what Draco meant. Voldemort was probably holding Narcissa as hostage and threatened her life if Draco wasn't home for the summer. Whether he wished to directly punish him or send him on a death mission was still unknown, but there was no way that Draco wasn't going back.

"Okay," Blaise swallowed hard. Then pausing for a moment, "Am I … allowed to visit some time, then?"

Draco hesitated, "Maybe, I don't know, I'll have to see – I'm not sure what'll happen once I go back."

Blaise nodded, and pulled Draco closer for a hug, because there wasn't anything he could think of to say.

* * *

While Draco and Blaise were in the boys' dorm, Theo and Pansy were in the Slytherin common room. He was reading a book but wasn't concentrating much as his mind keep flicking towards Granger, and she was flipping through a fashion magazine before finally putting down and said, "So, who's the girl, Theo?"

"Excuse me?" Theo looked up from his book, a frown on his face.

"Who's this girl that caught your attention and you couldn't stop thinking of her recently?" Pansy clarified. "And you've been on the same page for ages."

"There's a particular complicated theory on this page," Theo defended himself.

"Maybe there is," Pansy admitted, "but you're still thinking about some girl."

"I'm not – I don't even like her anyway! She's just super-irritating is all," he scowled.

"So, there _is_ a girl," Pansy said triumphantly.

Theo glared at her, "Yes, there is a girl. A girl that I found _annoying_. You're making it sounded like I'm attracted to her!"

Pansy waved her hand lazily, "I guess we sort of dated a bit this year, but I think you and I both know that we're really more of like friends than a couple. You don't need to feel bad for admitting there's someone else catching your attention."

"Well – I – I do agree we're more like friends than a couple, but that doesn't mean I'm attracted to anyone else!"

"If you're annoyed by me, you would go immerse yourself in your books and ignore me and tried to get me out of your mind," Pansy smirked, "not continued to think about how irritating I am while you read your book."

Theo blinked and gaped at her for a moment, and Pansy's smirk widened, "Figured yourself out?"

"Shut up, Pansy," Theo mumbled.

* * *

After the Hogwarts Express arrived at Platform Nine and Three Quarters, the fifth year Slytherins each left for their home after bidding each other goodbye. Blaise wanted to kiss Draco but decided not to after seeing Narcissa's presence. He knew Lucius would be against of him and Draco together, but he wasn't sure about Narcissa's view on this. However, it was best not to take risks. So he just gave his boyfriend a sort-of-brotherly hug and whispered, "Remember to write. And if it's okay for me to visit or you to come to my place—"

"I know," Draco muttered. Blaise nodded and broke apart before the hug got too long. He mouthed Draco 'I love you' as he grabbed his mother's arm for side-along-apparition.

* * *

The next time Blaise saw Draco was in late-July, when his boyfriend finally said he thought 'it should be okay to come over now' in one letter. Blaise didn't waste any time grabbing a bag and hurrying over there through the floo. He agreed easily when Draco suggested that they go out to the garden – Blaise figured Draco wasn't comfortable of staying inside the manor with a murderous psychopath living there. But when he saw Draco wearing a jacket, he began to feel a little suspicious.

Blaise decided not to say anything for the moment.

The sun was quite blazing and intense even for a July afternoon, shimmering brightly. There were no clouds in the sky to shield the heat, even though that probably wouldn't make much difference anyway. For quite some time, they just lay on the lawn and enjoying each other's company, chatting about random stuff from the OWLs to Quidditch to Blaise's latest stepfather's music collection.

Then Draco rolled sideways a little to place his head against his boyfriend's chest, "Merlin, it's quite hot out here, isn't it?"

"If I remember correctly, you were the one who suggested us to come to the garden," replied a slightly amused Blaise, smirking.

"Yeah, well, I'm not complaining about the weather," Draco retorted, "merely making an observation."

"Wonderful," Blaise chuckled as he hold his body up slightly and lifted himself up with one arm, "I've got some observations of my own, too."

"Oh yeah?" Draco raised his eyebrows challengingly.

"You're wearing a little too much for such a weather," Blaise whispered into Draco's ears, as his hands began to remove the light jacket Draco was wearing.

Draco quickly pulled himself away from Blaise, putting on a sneer, "Ever heard of sunburn protection, Blaise?"

"As if you haven't mastered all kinds of sunscreen spells," Blaise rolled his eyes, but then his tone turned more gentle as he took a gamble in guessing the real reason for the light jacket, "I know you don't want to show the mark, but there's nobody else here."

Draco stiffened and silently cursed Blaise for his very astute observations, though part of him wasn't really that shocked that Blaise figured it out that he took the Dark Mark. He'd be more surprised if someone like Blaise hadn't notice something was off, even if Draco had suggested the garden and that had given him an excuse to wear the jacket for sunburnt protection. Okay, Draco would even admit that he might feel a little … disappointed if Blaise had not figured it out – because that probably meant that his boyfriend wasn't paying as much attention to him as he thought.

Draco realized he must've gone quiet for a while when Blaise spoke. "Sorry," the dark-skinned teen apologized softly, "I just … sort of guessed. Though, your reaction does confirm it."

Draco felt a mix of relief and annoyance at Blaise's words, then he turned his back towards his boyfriend to face the fountain in the garden, not wanting to look at Blaise. He gazed at the waters splashing down from the top of the fountains, until realizing the sight of splashing water seemed suddenly nearer. He quickly wiped away his tears with the sleeves, though the gesture didn't seem to wipe away frustration and helplessness.

Then Draco felt a hand placed upon his shoulders and another slid across his slim waist slowly. Gently but firmly, Blaise turned the non-resisting blond to face him again.

"Draco?" Blaise asked tentatively.

Draco didn't reply, but instead bury his head into Blaise's chest and sobbed silently. Blaise let him cry and didn't ask more questions, simply holding him. Truth was, he didn't really know what to say either. He was usually good with sweet and soothing words, even when didn't mean them. Or perhaps it was easier when he didn't mean them than he did.

"I'm scared," Draco whispered, his voice was barely audible but Blaise heard it clearly. The Malfoy mask he usually wore was nowhere in sight, revealing how fragile he was underneath. Fear spilt out from his grey eyes.

Blaise sighed heavily, silently cursing Voldemort for making a child a Death Eater and cursing Lucius for landing Draco in this situation. With one hand holding the blond closer and another brushing over Draco's hair softly, Blaise started to coax the story out of Draco.

Inside Blaise's arms, all confidentiality were forgotten as Draco gradually told Blaise about how he got the Dark Mark a few days ago and how the Dark Lord gave him the task to kill Dumbledore. When he finished, even the normally calm Italian who wasn't easily surprised looked shocked and speechless.

Blaise rarely felt so helpless. His family had managed to remain neutral and he was glad to keep it that way. However, Draco grew up in a different environment where he was assumed to follow the Dark Lord's lead under the circumstances the Dark Lord rose again. The survival instinct and Slytherin side inside Blaise warned him to stay away from all this before he could be sure how this war would turn out.

But how could he choose to distance himself from Draco when his boyfriend was so vulnerable and needed support? A small, nagging voice inside him told him that it was something he was likely to do, being unable to stay inside a relationship too long, just like his mother. That someone like him would never care for more than himself …

Blaise looked at Draco and pushed that nagging voice aside as he saw how fragile the blond was at the moment. No, Draco had told Blaise that he wasn't his mother. He needed to have that faith in himself … abandoning and distancing Draco wasn't an option. Definitely no. But there had to be something he could than just accept Draco being on this sure-to-fail mission … maybe he should try seeking out someone on the Light Side to help Draco. The Light Side was rather known for being generous and wanting to save everyone, after all…

Blaise's mind reeled, listing what he could do in this situation. He still wasn't sure about how exactly he should do, but one thing was certain – he was staying by Draco side.

"I'll help you," he hoped he sounded confident enough, "we'll think of something."

Draco looked like he desperately wanted to believe Blaise but was unable to, though Blaise really couldn't blame him. Sighing, Blaise caressed Draco's hair absent-mindedly as his mind continued to go through the possible options of getting Draco out of this mess.

* * *

Theo's mother died when he had been eight, and now with his father in prison, there were only the house-elves left to accompany Theo through the summer. He supposed that was fine, since he hadn't been that close to his father anyway, but he felt sort of lonely and the house's big size emphasized the loneliness.

So he was grateful that Pansy came by for a visit once every week. Blaise came twice, too, and Draco once, very briefly. Since Pansy and Theo had established before summer break that they were just good friends and not lovers, Theo felt more relaxed with her being around. She still talked about the latest fashion that he wasn't interested in, but now, in the big and empty Nott Manor instead of the crowded with students Hogwarts, he found it too be far more pleasant than before.

But as her topic changed from fashion to Theo's dating life, he started to grow uncomfortable.

"So, who is the girl that caught your attention?" Pansy prodded.

"Look, I'm not interested in her!" Theo exclaimed, still trying to deny his attraction to Granger even after his last chat with Pansy at Hogwarts. "She's just an irritating, annoying—"

"You're in denial," Pansy cut across him, "I mean it, Theo. If you only find her irritating, than you would freely complain to me about her, not refusing to tell me who she was. And it wasn't as if that girl being my friend would stop your complaining, since Millie's my friend and you always had things to say about how her cats are so irritating and all that. So, you're not complaining about what that girl had specifically done, and you won't tell me who she was and just kept insisting you're not interested. You're in denial, Theo."

"Why do I even invite you over to my house?" Theo grumbled.

"Apparently, you need someone to talk some sense into you," Pansy said sweetly, "and I'm generous enough to take up this responsibility."

"I like it better when you talk about fashion," he complained.

"Oh, I love talking about fashion, too, even if you generally ignore me when I do that," she laughed. "But as a good friend, I'm equally interested in talking about your love life."

"Is that a required quality of being a good friend?" Theo snorted.

"Well, to be honest, it's actually just a girl privilege," Pansy admitted. "So … back to the topic, Theo …"

He groaned.

-TBC-


	14. Trip to Diagon

_A.N.: A bit of Blaise/Draco moments, hope you all enjoy this chapter :)_

 _R &R please :)_

* * *

Being in the same house with the Dark Lord was not something Draco could just ignore and pretend that everything was fine. The atmosphere was suffocating, with him and his mother under constant threat, and that dreadfully impossible task hanging over his head. Not to mention that starting from August the Death Eaters had been coming over to the Manor for meetings more and more often than before.

It was all too much for him.

Especially when his aunt Bella cackled maniacally and stated that he should be proud to carry out this mission for the Dark Lord. And when Fenrir Greyback complained about his hunger – it sent a chill through Draco's spine.

For Blaise's own safety, Draco had decided to not allow his boyfriend to come to visit anymore. He didn't want to place Blaise in such danger, no matter how badly he wanted Blaise here with him. After some arguments over the exchanged owls, Blaise grudgingly agreed that it was probably for the best. Draco could tell that his boyfriend wasn't happy with this, but could still see the logic and sense behind this decision – after all, Blaise had always been known for being sensible and logical. It was part of his appeal, too.

Draco felt some sort of relief whenever he got a chance to leave the Manor, though admittedly he didn't get this kind of chances often. But as September got nearer, he had the excuse to go buy his school stuff to escape from his house for a few hours. It was good to be out, without the Dark Lord's presence in the next room. Still, he was edgy and anxious as it was the first time he visited the Diagon Alley after getting the Dark Mark. His brain kept replaying different sort of situations where his mark might be exposed and discovered by the public.

He knew his mother desperately wanted some fresh air, too, so he asked her to accompany him to give her an excuse to get out with him. But he also planned to do some shopping in Knockturn Alley that he didn't want her to follow and he wanted to meet up with Blaise later, so he hoped he could convince her to let him go off and do some shopping alone at some point.

* * *

They went shopping for Draco's robes first. As Madam Malkin tried different robes on Draco while he argued with Narcissa, he realized it was much harder than he'd originally thought to convince his mother to let him go shopping alone. Narcissa was extremely about letting her son out of her sight. And that annoying Malkin woman just had to chime in her stupid agreements about how nobody was supposed to wander alone these days. _Damn annoying woman,_ Draco thought, feeling irritated.

And she very nearly exposed his Dark Mark when she tried to adjust his sleeves with pins. Draco reacted instinctually, snapping his arm away as his eyes searched frantically for a reasonable excuse and saw the pins she was holding, "Watch where you're sticking that pin, will you!"

He pushed Madam Malkin away harshly and strode towards the mirror, trying to regain his calmness. While on the outside, he looked his usual arrogant and indifferent self with a perfect mask on, he was fretting about the near-exposure of the Dark Mark. It had been a close call.

And then he saw something in the mirror that made him blinked to double check – no, apparently he didn't hallucinate anything, the Golden Trio had really just came into the shop. His grey eyes narrowed unpleasantly, thinking if Madam Malkin had actually revealed his Mark and the Trio had walked in a few minutes earlier – he daren't think about what would've happen then.

He hoped his anxiousness didn't show on his face, he couldn't let the stupid Gryffindors knew that he, Draco Malfoy, was actually anxious. Draco schooled in all his emotions and put on his best sneer, as an insult slipped off his tongue all too naturally, "If you're wondering what the smell is, Mother, a Mudblood just walked in."

Madan Malkin looked affronted and blurted out some chastisement and Potter and Weasley raised their wand simultaneously – it immediately satisfied Draco. He was glad he was still his old-self that could easily rile the Golden Trio up, that he hadn't lost his touch. He wasn't weak and none of his emotions slipped past his mask. Perfect.

He eyed the raised wands with a sneer and said, "Yeah, like you'd dare do magic out of school. Who blacked your eye, Granger? I want to send them flowers."

"That's quite enough!" Madam Malkin said sharply as she looked over to his mother for support, "Madam – please –"

Narcissa was a master of masking her real feelings with a sneering mask herself. "Put those away," she said coldly to Potter and Weasley. "If you attack my son again, I shall ensure that is the last thing you ever do."

"Really?" Potter took a step forward, not looking the least bit intimidated. _Bloody Gryffindor_ , Draco thought in annoyance. "Going to get a few Death Eater pals to do us in, are you?"

Draco gritted his teeth at the accusations. The Golden Boy really had no idea what living with a Dark Lord and Death Eaters coming in as they wished was like. He wasn't the one who had to live under the constant threat and been assigned a destined-to-fail task … had Draco been less able to control his emotions, he would've lashed out immediately.

"Really, you shouldn't accuse – dangerous thing to say – wands away, please!" Madam Malkin squeaked.

"I see that being Dumbledore's favourite had given you a false sense of security, Harry Potter. But Dumbledore won't always be there to protect you." Draco heard his mother replied coolly.

Potter only looked around the shop mockingly, "Wow … look at that … he's not here now! So why not have a go? They might be able to find you a double cell in Azkaban with your loser of a husband!"

Alright, Potter was taking this too far. Reminding Draco that his father had been put in Azkaban by Dumbledore's favourite pet and then insulting him again now – it was the final straw for Draco. His grip on his wand tightened as he took a step forward. There was controlling his emotions but then there was defending his family's honour. However, as he stepped forward, he stumbled over the overlong robe – Draco cursed that stupid Malkins woman internally but snarled, "Don't you dare talk to my mother like that, Potter!"

"It's all right, Draco," Narcissa put her hand on his shoulder and gripped him slightly. Draco could hear the warning in her voice – _you're a Malfoy, so act like one. Don't lose your temper in front of others. Remember your father said that emotions are weaknesses._ "I expect Potter would be reunited with dear Sirius before I am reunited with Lucius."

Draco took a deep breath and calmed himself down as he marveled inwardly at how his mother managed to land herself in the upper hand of this little spat. Potter was clearly upset as the mention of Sirius Black struck a sore-spot. He raised his wand a little higher but then Granger spoke urgently and grabbed his arm.

As if attempting to pretend this argument never happened, Madam Malkin bent towards Draco again and resumed to working on his sleeve. "I think this left sleeve could come up a little bit more, dear, let me just –"

Alarmed, Draco slapped her hand away, "Watch where you're putting your pins, woman! Mother – I don't think I want these any more—"

His mother understood what his concern was and said, as she gave Granger a contemptuous glance, "Now I know the kind of scum that shops here … we'll do better at Twilfitt and Tatting's."

They left Madam Malkin's and headed towards Twilfitt and Tatting's to get Draco's robes. Draco had been more cautious this time and didn't let anyone except his mother close when he was trying on the robes. When he'd finished picking his robes, he tried again to convince his mother to let him go do some shopping alone.

Fortunately, his mother was interested in some of the new dresses on sale and Draco took the opportunity to convince her. She finally agreed to stay and pick some dresses while Draco went to buy the rest of his stuff.

* * *

Draco let out a sigh of relief as he stepped out of Twilfitt and Tatting's. He needed to first meet up Blaise at Florean Fortescue and headed towards the Knockturn Alley. His boyfriend had argued that if he wasn't allowed to visit the Malfoy Manor, then he wanted to at least accompany Draco when he shopped in somewhere as dangerous as Knockturn Alley. Draco had tried to deny that he was planning to head to such a place, but Blaise, being ever analytical and observing to an almost irritating point like always, was skeptical about that. " _You've been given this hard task and you expect me to believe that you could finish all your preparation just by the usual shops in Diagon Alley?_ " He wrote in a letter. Draco could very clearly imagine Blaise's raised eyebrow and sardonic voice as he said this. " _And don't you dare go alone – I'm going with you,_ " was the next line in the letter. He couldn't remember Blaise being bossy before they had been together, but since they had become a couple, Blaise seemed extra concerned with Draco's security. He'd thought he would find this annoying, but actually it was really kind of sweet.

Draco spotted Blaise just outside the ice cream parlour. The Italian was leaning against the outside wall of Florean Fortescue, his hands casually tucked in the expensive looking silver light jacket of his. Blaise's handsome face was expressionless as he eyes wandered the streets, but Draco could swear that he saw the corner of Blaise's mouth tugged upwards a little and the slanting, exotic deep blue eyes lit up for a moment when Blaise saw Draco.

"Miss me?" As Draco walked nearer, Blaise drawled in a husky tone. The Italian pulled the blond close and stole a quick kiss.

"You know I do," Draco said after they broke off the kiss.

A satisfied smirk flew across Blaise's face before he turned serious. "Let's get going?" Draco nodded, knowing that Blaise meant the Knockturn Alley. They started walking closely but seemed not choose not to hold their hands out of some undiscussed agreement. Draco folded his arms across his chest easily, in a very Malfoy-ish manner, while Blaise tucked his hands back into his jacket.

"How's your mom?" Blaise asked Draco.

"Seems quite happy to get out the Manor, just like me," Draco shrugged, then sighed. "Took me some efforts to convince her to let me do some shopping without her. I guess you didn't have this problem?"

"No, Mother's too busy going on honeymoon to worry about me," Blaise snorted. He hesitated for a moment before throwing his arm around Draco's shoulder, smirking a little at the blond's surprised expression. "Figured you might not want to hold hands in the public … but I want to touch you, so, yeah."

Draco rolled his eyes but leaned into Blaise's arm easily, feeling rather pleased to hear that Blaise wanted to touch him. He felt Blaise gave him a comforting squeeze on the shoulders. "What shop you're heading to? Borgin and Burkes?"

"Yeah," Draco replied softly, feeling a little tense again after being reminded of his nearly impossible task.

Blaise felt Draco tensed slightly so he squeezed the blond's shoulder once more, attempting to soothe his boyfriend. He said, "We're cunning Slytherins – we'll find a way to deal with this." Draco nodded uncertainly. Blaise continued, "You got any idea what you want to buy yet or you're just looking around trying to find something that might help?"

Draco hesitated. "I've already got an idea … but I'm not buying anything though."

Blaise raised an eyebrow, "Oh?"

"You'll understand it later … come on, here's we are," they arrived at Borgin and Burkes and Draco pushed open the door. Blaise took his arm off Draco and followed him inside. He strode inside in an aristocrat manner, looking cool and composed, eyeing his surroundings in disdain. However, his attention was actually quite focused on Draco as the blond teen approached the counter.

"Young Mr. Malfoy!" Borgin sounded surprised. "What brings you here?"

Draco wasted no time in getting to the topic, "There's a cabinet that travelled between your shop and another place, but it's broken. I need it mended. I assume you know how to fix it?"

Borgin sounded hesitant and unwillingly to commit himself as he answered, "Possibly. I'll need to see it, though. Why don't you bring the other part into the shop?"

Draco replied, "I can't. It's got to stay put. I just need you to tell me how to do it."

"Well, without seeing it, I must say it will be a very difficult job, perhaps impossible. I can't guarantee anything."

Draco felt a bit frustrated. The cabinet was his best shot to transport the Death Eaters into Hogwarts like the Dark Lord had requested. He had felt he was quite lucky to have discovered this way, but he should've realized that of course this wouldn't be easy. _Nothing ever was_ , he thought bitterly.

He looked at Borgin with hard eyes, trying to channel what Blaise would probably called as his 'inner Lucius Malfoy', and made a split decision. "No?" Draco sneered and took a step towards Borgins. "Perhaps this will make you more confident." He flipped his sleeves upwards, revealing the Dark Mark on his left arm.

Blaise felt a bit shocked when Draco chose to reveal the mark, but he didn't intervene as he trusted Draco to know what he was doing.

The Dark Mark created Draco's desired effect, he felt pleased at how effective it was, but also grimaced inwardly as he thought of how he really was one of the bad guys now. _Well, wasn't that what Father would've wanted? Me serving the Dark Lord? I guess I should be proud. Proud to carry out this mission to renounce the Malfoy name in the Dark Lord's eyes …_ Except he wasn't. He was just miserable and scared. _How silly of me … not able to be a good guy and not able to be a proper Death Eater either … pathetic, really._

But Draco didn't voice any of these thoughts aloud, instead he just said, in a calm but threatening tone, "Tell anyone, and there will be retribution." Perhaps it would be good to mention Greyback. Even though Draco didn't like that werewolf, he knew it would be effective in scaring others. "You know Fenrir Greyback? He's a family friend," _actually, he's not, and I wished he had nothing to do with my family,_ "he'll be dropping in from time to time to make sure you're giving the problem your full attention."

Draco could tell that Borgin was scared. "There will be no need for—"

"I'll decide that," Draco cut across him harshly. He was already feeling sick and keen on leaving now. He had made his point here today and he could get the specific mending instructions from Borgin later. "Well, I'd better be off. And don't forget to keep _that_ one safe, I'll need it." He nodded in the direction of the necklace, knowing that Borgin would know what he was referring to as he'd already stated this earlier in a letter.

"Perhaps you'd like to take it now?" Borgin asked.

Draco felt annoyed at the man's ignorance. "No, of course I wouldn't, you stupid little man, how would I look carrying that down the street? Just don't sell it."

"Of course not … sir," Borgin bowed deeply.

Draco's sharp eyes scanned the shopowner critically before saying, "Not a word to anyone, Borgin, and that includes my mother, understand?"

"Naturally, naturally," Borgin murmured, bowing again.

Draco turned around swiftly and nodded at Blaise, indicating it was time to leave. Blaise nodded back and pushed open the door. Once they were out of the store, the dark-skinned teen threw his arm around Draco again almost immediately. "Are you alright?"

Draco took a deep breath and steadied himself, "Of course I am, it's Borgin who probably doesn't look alright."

"Yeah, yeah, but Borgin's not my boyfriend," Blaise rolled his eyes. Despite Draco's bravado, Blaise just _knew_ Draco wasn't exactly fine. He might've been intimidating and threatening in the shop, but Blaise could see through the guises and how Draco was worried and miserable deep down. As he rubbed Draco's shoulders gently, he could feel how tensed up the blond was moments ago. Knowing Draco's pride and how he probably wouldn't admit any of his feelings out in the public, Blaise didn't push him. Instead, he just continued rubbing Draco's back, comforting him in a silent way. "So … the cabinet … the one Montague got stuck in? That's smart." He whistled appreciatively. "Good thinking."

Draco preened a little under the compliment, but sighed again, "I'll need to have it fixed first, though."

"I'll help you," Blaise promised, his voice soft. Then he changed the subject, "When are you supposed to meet your mom?"

"I've still got another 30 minutes," Draco responded.

"Let's go have some ice cream, then," Blaise decided, "take your mind off other stuff for a moment."

Draco quirked a small smile, "Okay."

* * *

Ice cream didn't exactly take Draco's mind off all his worries, but he relaxed a little as he and Blaise dug into the dessert. He leaned back onto the chair and closed his eyes as he savoured the taste of the mint ice cream he ordered. He felt some ice cream was close to slipping off his lips and his eyes flicked open quickly, trying to find some napkin. He didn't get the chance to do anything about it though, as Blaise reacted quicker than him.

"Hey," the Italian teased as his held a napkin, traced the skin just below Draco's lips, and caught the ice cream that had nearly fallen down, "what would the public say when they saw the perfect Malfoy heir nearly dripping down ice-cream?"

Draco huffed. "I was going to get the napkin before you just budged in and interfered."

"I wouldn't have used a napkin if we're not in the public," Blaise smirked suggestively with a wink, "maybe I'd use my mouth."

Draco blushed slightly and kicked Blaise under the table. Blaise winced for a moment but his smirk broadened, "You look cute when you blush," he quickly shifted his legs away to avoid another kick from Draco, "come on, finish up the ice cream, we still have to get back to your mom."

Draco huffed but resumed to eating the ice cream, "Fine."

-TBC-


End file.
